IRMO, S.C. — Dive teams continued their search for a missing swimmer on Saturday after searching much of the afternoon the previous day.
A spokesperson for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources said crews were still searching an area near the Lake Murray dam following the disappearance of a swimmer the day before.
According to Fire Marshall Brian Haley, Irmo crews had the first boat in the water for the search while working with neighboring agencies to find the swimmer, described as a 27-year-old man.
Haley said several friends were on a pontoon boat in the area where they were also swimming. The group realized at some point that one of the friends had gone missing and called in emergency services.
Haley said Irmo crews also searched the banks of the lake in the area of the Columbia Sailing Club and Windward Point Road to see if the swimmer had gotten out and been unable to contact anyone. However, they did not locate him.
Around 2:30 p.m. the Irmo Fire District turned the search over to the Department of Natural Resources which brought in divers with the Aquatic Investigations and Recovery Team and an airplane to continue looking.
As of Saturday evening, the DNR reports they have not yet found the man. Dive crews typically search from sunrise to sunset unless dangerous conditions such as severe weather force them to stop early. They then begin their search again the following day.