19-year-old kayaker trying to escape storm tumbles into lake and dies, SC coroner says

An evening storm that erupted over Lake Hartwell led to the death of a 19-year-old kayaker, according to investigators in Upstate South Carolina.

Joshua Scott Edwards was near Singing Pines Recreational Park around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, when the water turned dangerous, the Anderson County coroner’s office said in a news release. The park is about a 130-mile drive northwest from Columbia.

“The victim and a friend were on kayaks in the lake and were caught in a storm,” the coroner’s office said in a news release.

“The kayakers were attempting to return to shore, when the victim apparently fell off his kayak and was not seen again.”

A search was launched, and Edwards’ body was found the next day in 11 feet of water, about 20 yards from shore, the coroner’s office said.

An investigation is ongoing, but his death is suspected to be an accidental drowning, officials said.

Edwards lived in Anderson, about a 15-mile drive northeast of the Singing Pines Recreation Park, officials say. His Facebook page reports he is originally from Gastonia, North Carolina, just west of Charlotte.

The National Weather Service warned that severe storms were likely Saturday afternoon in the western part of the state and could “produce damaging wind and/or large hail.”

Lake Hartwell covers 56,000 acres along the South Carolina-Georgia border, and Singing Pines Recreation Area is among the lakeside parks with a boat launch and swimming areas.

This story was originally published August 19, 2024 at 12:27 PM with the headline "19-year-old kayaker trying to escape storm tumbles into lake and dies, SC coroner says."