Monday, April 15, 2013
Two adults and three children — ranging in age from 3 to 8 years old — were taken to a local hospital after their boats collided near Spence Island, WIS-TV reports.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is investigating a boat collision on Lake Murray that sent five people to the hospital. Two adults and three children — ranging in age from 3 to 8 years old — were taken to a local hospital after their boats collided near Spence Island, WIS-TV reports. Investigators say a man and his three grandchildren were anchored near Spence Island when another boater hit them. Two of the three children as well as the grandfather were treated and released, according to the report. The incident left one child with a broken arm. The condition of the other boater is unknown. Read more here.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Midlands residents can visit the parks for a small fee.
SCE&G’s public parks on the Lexington and Irmo sides of the dam at Lake Murray are now open for the 2013 season. The boat-launching park on the Irmo side will remain open through Labor Day. The beach/recreation area on the Lexington side will remain open through Sept. 13. Operating hours will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday until May 4, after which the park will stay open until 8 p.m. Weekend and holiday hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Parking fees are charged during normal operating hours to partially offset the cost of maintenance, security and improvements at the parks. Fees for motorcycles are $2. Car and truck fees are $3. The fee for buses is $5. Season passes can be purchased for $45 per vehicle. The public boat launch …
Monday, August 20, 2012
Richland Coroner Gary Watts released the name of a teenager that drowned in Lake Murray Sunday evening.
A teenager that drowned on Lake Murray while attending a church outing on Sunday was an 18-year-old Columbia resident, according to the Richland County Coroner's Office. Christopher J. Riddle, 18, of Columbia, was swimming with friends at a church outing when he went under the water approximately 20 feet from the dock, Coroner Gary Watts said. Riddle did not re-surface and rescue personnel responded to the scene around 5:30 p.m. The Richland County Sheriffs Department dive team recovered Riddle's body around 7:30 p.m. in approximately 14 feet of water, according to a coroner's office release. An autopsy performed Monday shows that the victim died from asphyxiation due to fresh water drowning, the coroner's office said. Officials say …
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
The tours feature a view of the Purple Martin birds on Bomb Island, hors d'oeuvres and live music.
Residents and visitors can enjoy special boat tours of Lake Murray complete with a view of the migrating Purple Martin birds and live music. The Southern Patriot boat is offering lake-goers a special cruise on Aug. 17 and 31. The two-hour cruise takes patrons to Bomb Island, where hundreds of thousands of Purple Martins circle and roost this time of year. Purple Martins are people-friendly birds that are very vocal, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. They migrate to South America for the winter but usually return the the same colony sites during the summer. The birds have been roosting on Bomb Island since the 1980s, according to The Purple Martin Conservation Association. Apart from a view of the Purple Martins, the…
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Victim reportedly fell off a dock, according to Lexington coroner.
A 32-year-old Goose Creek man died Friday night in a drowning on Lake Murray. David W. Woods was visiting 532 Harbor Heights Drive in Lexington when he fell off the dock at approximately 11 p.m. Friday and didn't surface, according to Lexington County Coroner Harry O. Harman. Woods' body was retrieved from the water by friends, according to Harman. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident is under investigation by the Lexington County Coroner’s Office and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. The State newspaper notes this is the second drowning on the lake in a week. An 87-year-old man appears to have drowned after slipping on rocks in waist-deep water June 23.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Lexington County Coroner's Office officials released more information about a West Columbia man killed on Lake Murray on June 9.
Alcohol was found in the system of a 49-year-old jet ski rider killed on Lake Murray, according to a report from The State. Richard Stowe of West Columbia had a blood alcohol level of .33, Lexington County Coroner's Office officials said. On June 9, Stowe was riding his jet ski near Bomb Island when he apparently hit an object in the water and was thrown from the jet ski. WIS-TV reported Stowe was wearing a life jacket. An autopsy performed on Saturday revealed Stowe had died from drowning. Stowe was thought to have had a head injury, The State reports. In South Carolina, the legal level of intoxication is .08.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
The Lexington County Coroner's Office releases the name of a man that died Friday on Lake Murray.
A West Columbia man died Friday when he was thrown off a jet ski he was riding on Lake Murray, according to the Lexington County Coroner's Office. Around 6:45 p.m. Richard Stowe, 49, was riding his jet ski near Bomb Island when he apparently hit an object in the water and was thrown from the jet ski, Coroner Harry Harman said. Authorities found Stowe's body at Bomb Island. An autopsy performed on Saturday revealed Stowe had died from drowning, according to the Coroner's Office. According to a WIS-TV report, Stowe was wearing a life jacket. The accident remains under investigation by the Lexington County Coroner's Office and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. Editor's note: Story was updated at 7:38 p.m.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Expect a heightened law enforcement presence on Lake Murray this Memorial Day weekend.
With hot temperatures expected, and it being Memorial Day weekend, Lake Murray will be a prime destination for thousands this weekend. As such, boaters should expect a heightened law enforcement presence on the water. State Natural Resources officers will be out in force., according to this article in The State. About 20 officers, which is three times the normal number, will be patrolling the the 47,500-acre lake in order to to prevent tragedy. "Concern about safety on the lake has intensified after a pair of nearly simultaneous boating crashes on May 1, 2010, left four dead. Overall, there have been eight deaths at Lake Murray in the past two years, but none this year," the newspaper article said. Read more here.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Richland County jury began deliberations today in Steven Kranendonk trial.
Update, 5:50 p.m.: Steven Kranendonk, an Irmo boater who was tried in a reckless homicide case this week, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to a WIS-TV report. A jury found him guilty of two counts of reckless homicide. Update, 4:12 p.m.: The State reports a jury has found Steven Kranendonk guilty of reckless homicide. Original, 2:52 p.m.: The deliberations in the reckless homicide trial of Steven Kranendonk began today, The State reports. Kranendonk, 26, is accused of crashing his boat into another on Lake Murray, killing two women. He faces up to 10 years in prison.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
The reckless homicide trial of Steven Kranendonk, 26, continues.
A close friend of two of the people killed in a boat crash in the summer of 2010 took the stand Wednesday in the trial of the man officials say is responsible. Steven Kranendonk, 26, has been charged with reckless homicide and is standing trial this week. Colt Lax — a friend of Kelli Bullard and Amber Golden, who were killed in the crash — told his story Wednesday, according to The State.
Laura
11:29 am on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Our prayers go out to the family and friends! more ›