Search for missing USC student ends after body pulled from river near Columbia
A weekslong search for a missing University of South Carolina student ended when the teenager’s body was recently recovered from the Congaree River near Columbia, officials said Tuesday.
Donaven Dempsey, an 18-year-old Spartanburg resident, was identified as the victim whose body was discovered in the Congaree River on Sunday, Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said.
Dempsey was publicly reported missing by the Columbia Police Department May 10. The USC student was last seen May 8 when he left his hometown of Spartanburg and returned to Columbia, according to police.
Dempsey had not been in touch with loved ones since he was last seen, police said. On May 22, police renewed a call asking the public for help finding Dempsey.
On Sunday, a body was pulled from the Congaree River, The State previously reported. The body, later identified as Dempsey, was found near the eastern end of Congaree National Park, where the river forms the line between Richland and Calhoun counties.
The coroner’s office has not announced Dempsey’s cause of death, or his manner of death.
Police said no foul play is suspected and an investigation by its Special Victim’s Unit has concluded. Information about the conclusions of that investigation was not available.
Other agencies that assisted in the investigation and recovery included the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the Columbia Fire Department and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
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This story was originally published May 28, 2025 at 7:26 AM with the headline "Search for missing USC student ends after body pulled from river near Columbia."
