A favorite friendly ghost story of mine is of The Gray Man of Pawleys Island, South Carolina. The story of the Gray Man tells of a man in love that tried to take the fastest route to see his fiancee, but meet an abrupt end in a pool of quicksand. The girl was so devastated by the accident, that she began to walk the beach, almost as if searching for him. One day, she found him. He warned her to leave the island for safety, which is just what she and her family did. They were safe and their house was untouched by the storm.
That was the storm of 1822. Since then, others have seen the Gray Man. In 1893, he appeared before the Sea Islands Hurricane. The family that saw him was spared. In 1954, a man named Bill Collins was visited at his home by a man dressed completely in gray. The man warned him to leave and Bill and his wife did just that. Hurricane Hazel hit South Carolina and destroyed thousands of homes and took dozens of lives. When Hurricane Hugo struck in 1989, the Gray Man once again showed up and saved the lives of Jack and Clara Moore.
Many people say that they see the Gray Man on the beach, either waving a warning to them or walking along the sand. Sometimes he talks the warning, others times he instills such a feeling that makes the people feel compelled to leave. Probably the most interesting aspect about the Gray Man is that the homes of the people he has warned are usually left untouched by the storms. As fortunate as that is, it cannot simply be luck or coincidence. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that the Gray Man saves these peoples homes.
While his life tragically ended, the Gray Man has saved numerous others. If you see the Gray Man while walking along the beautiful coastline of South Carolina, tell him thank you...and then get the heck out of there.
