28/July/2019 – Drowning Incident – “B” Shift

Incident # 19-05199 – A pleasurable Sunday boating trip turned tragic for a Ridgeville man 28-July. At 14:13, 9-1-1 was notified of an adult male who was swimming to a boat on the Edisto River at Good Hope Landing, when he went under the water and did not resurface. Fire-Rescue’s Dive Team, several Deputies and DNR Officers responded to the landing. Bystanders and a family member were able to provide an approximate location where the man went under the water. The Sheriff’s Office used two boats equipped with sonar to search the river south of the landing, while Fire-Rescue Divers searched the vicinity were the man was last seen. Visibility was only about four to six feet using dive lights in the dark waters. The Edisto River is one of the longest black water rivers in the country. DNR officers had two divers and specialized equipment brought in from Columbia. Crews coordinated their efforts, searching the river for approximately 3-1/2 hours. Deputies closed the landing and a portion of the Edisto River to allow responders to work safely. A DNR boat using a side scanning sonar located the man’s body within seventy five feet of where he was last seen and Divers recovered him from the river. The man was turned over to the Coroner’s Office. All units cleared the scene by 19:30.

Medic 9, Squad 27, Marine 27 and Car 112 responded. Firefighter-EMT James Varnadoe served as Incident Commander.