Fisherman’s discovery leads to sad end in search for missing SC man, coroner says
The search for a missing South Carolina man ended Tuesday when his body was found inside a vehicle submerged in a lake, according to the Oconee County Coroner’s Office.
At about 1:30 p.m., emergency officials received a 911 call from a fisherman who said that he he had discovered a vehicle underwater in Lake Hartwell, Coroner Karl Addis said in a news release.
A 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck was submerged near a private boat ramp off of Tugaloo Shores Drive in the Fair Play area, according to the release. That’s near the state line between South Carolina and Georgia.
Shortly after 3 p.m., the pickup was pulled from a spot in the lake where the water was estimated to be about 8 feet deep, the coroner’s office said. Inside the Chevy was the dead body of 73-year-old Fair Play resident David A. Johnson, who lived at a nearby home and was reported missing earlier in the day, according to the release.
An autopsy was conducted Wednesday afternoon, and drowning was determined to be Johnson’s cause of death, the coroner’s office said. It’s believed he died late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, according to the release.
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Department is leading an investigation.
In addition to Oconee County, Lake Hartwell touches Anderson and Pickens counties in South Carolina as it covers 962 miles of shoreline and has a maximum depth of 185 feet, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published November 13, 2024 at 7:19 AM with the headline "Fisherman’s discovery leads to sad end in search for missing SC man, coroner says."
