Lamar man drowns in boating accident

44-year-old dies after incident on Lynches River in Lee County

By RANDY BURNS
Item Staff Writer
rburns@theitem.com

BISHOPVILLE — A Darlington County man drowned Wednesday night in a boating accident on Lynches River in Lee County, officials said.

Randy Hall, 44, of Lamar, was pronounced dead by Lee County Coroner Alford Elmore. He estimated the time of death to be about 8:30 p.m.

The incident took place about 8:15 p.m. about ½ mile south of U.S. 401 near the Darlington County line, Elmore said.

Hall and Tony Logan, 41, who lives on St. Andrews Road in Lee County, were in a boat when it capsized, officials said. EMS marine units from Lee and Darlington counties left the U.S. 401 landing about 10:15 p.m., according to Lee County EMS Assistant Director Tim Dubose.

“Our paramedic found the body about 10:45 p.m.,” Dubose said.

Logan told Elmore that shortly before sunset they put the boat in the river at the bridge on the Lee County side of U.S. 401.

“The boat belonged to Logan and he was trying it out so he could sell it,” Elmore said. “He said that they went two miles upstream first and then went back past (U.S.) 401. They evidently ran into some swift water and the boat turned over.”

Logan was able to swim to safety, Elmore said.

“He (Logan) said that Hall could not swim,” Elmore said. “He said he told him to hang on to a log that was in the river.”

Hall, who reportedly had some health problems, told Logan that he was “give out” and was having trouble hanging on to the log, Elmore said.

Maj. Daniel Simon of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said Logan told him that Hall also tried to hang on to a limb that was hanging down over the river. An autopsy performed Thursday at the Newberry Pathology Associates confirmed that Hall drowned, Elmore said.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is investigating the accident, Simon said.



Contact Staff Writer Randy Burns at rburns@theitem.com or (803) 491-4533.