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But so far no additional hatchlings have emerged. Volunteers from the local Sea Turtle Project will inventory the nest later this week to determine whether any more turtles could hatch, said Sarah Skigen, a natural resources associate for the Town of Hilton Head Island.
"It wouldn't surprise me if Wednesday was the sole emersion," Skigen said.
The hatchlings apparently were led away from the ocean by a combination of flashlights and about 150 white luminarias -- bags with a lit candle inside -- near Palmetto Dunes, Skigen said.
Palmetto Dunes security officials received a call around 5 a.m. Wednesday from a beachfront resident complaining that several people were shining flashlights on the beach and into the home, Skigen said. The resident had been concerned about recent break-ins in the area, she said.
But instead of burglars, the group on the beach apparently had been helping friends prepare for a romantic wedding proposal, Skigen said. They had arranged the lighted bags in the shape of a heart.
It was probably a combination of the luminarias, flashlights and the reflection of the moon on the white bags after the candles were extinguished that disoriented the hatchlings, she said. The turtles instinctively follow lunar light toward the ocean but will follow any light they see.
Skigen, who was on daily sea turtle patrol around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, said the bags looked like a flock of seagulls as the patrol car approached. None of the bags was lit when she arrived with other patrol volunteers.
"The sheer volume of the white bags created a light on the beachfront," she said. "You could see the glow from 300 feet away."
When they got closer, Skigen and the other volunteers found tiny tracks heading in all directions, except toward the ocean. Some tracks repeatedly encircled the luminarias where the hatchlings succumbed either to weakness or ghost crabs. Others headed into the sand dunes, nearby lagoons and backyards.
One live hatchling was found, but it was so weak it was not expected to survive.
The couple were still celebrating their engagement when the distraught patrol volunteers rolled up.
"The people were regretful," Skigen said. "They'd just gotten engaged and were bombarded with a lot of people yelling at them."
The couple received a warning from the town and a lecture from furious sea turtle volunteers. The town rarely issues fines, relying instead on warnings to get people to comply with lights-out laws.
This year, the town has noted 293 violations, according to Connie Pratt, code enforcement officer, but has issued no citations.
Town code enforcement officers used to patrol the beachfront after dark to enforce the lights-out policy. Because of budget cuts this year, however, the town has cut back on regular patrols, Pratt said.
"We rely on citizen complaints and tips from morning sea turtle patrol," Pratt said.
Most people comply after receiving a warning. The law carries a $1,092 fine for those who don't.
The Sea Turtle Project supplies rental agencies, hotels and villas with pamphlets explaining the importance of turning off any lights that could confuse nesting mother turtles and their offspring. The rule is posted inside many rental homes and hotel rooms.
Despite the outreach to tourists, project officials reported that hatchlings from 14 nests -- with about a month remaining in nesting season -- have headed in the wrong direction because of artificial light. That's up from an average of 10 nests a year, though not all have been total losses, officials said.
The volunteers hope this recent incident will serve as a reminder to people to leave their lights off.
Mayor Tom Peeples agreed. "We need to be doing everything we can to minimize the chance of having this happen again."
Of the luminarias, Peeples said, "it was probably a very innocent, but not well-thought-out gesture."
