Man found dead in Lake Murray identified after search by Lexington deputies
An Irmo man’s empty fishing boat and body was found in Lake Murray after a morning-long search, Friday.
Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher identified the man as 51-year-old Timothy Steven Peele of Irmo.
His body was found in the water by Lexington County Sheriff’s Department deputies about 11 a.m., Fisher said.
Peele launched his fishing boat into the water from a public ramp on the Irmo side of the Lake Murray dam at about 6:30 a.m., according to authorities.
Only minutes later, people saw his boat drifting near the dock without a driver, said Capt. Adam Myrick, spokesperson for the sheriff’s department. The people called for deputies who began a search.
The sheriff’s department’s team of divers searched for Peele’s body underwater while marine patrol deputies in boats scanned the lake’s surface. Officers with the Department of Natural Resources also joined the search.
An autopsy to determine Peele’s cause of death will be performed Wednesday, Fisher said.
The sheriff’s department and natural resources department are investigating Peele’s death.
This story was originally published May 5, 2020 at 10:31 AM.