ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — One person is dead after a boating accident on Lake Marion on Saturday, according to officials with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).
Officials say six people on a pontoon boat with an enclosed structure were trying to get to Lake Marion Resort Landing during a storm Saturday evening. Strong winds and waves reportedly swamped the boat, causing it to flip and trap the boaters underneath.
Five people were able to get out from underneath the boat and surface from the water, according to SCDNR officials. At that time, two of the boaters went back under water in an effort to rescue the sixth boater who had not surfaced.
Meanwhile, an officer with SCDNR arrived and was able to pull all six boaters onto his boat. Sadly, the sixth boater who had not originally surfaced was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The incident is still under investigation, SCDNR officials say.