Lexington man killed, nephew injured in Lake Murray boat crash

A Lexington man was killed and a family member of his injured when a boat crashed into a dock at Lake Murray early Sunday.

The collision happened around 6 a.m. at Wessinger Island, according to Capt. Robert McCullough of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

Details about the crash, including the kind of boat involved, are limited, but McCullough said the boat crashed into a dock.

Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said Jimmy Gene Ayers, 57, of Lexington, died of multiple traumatic injuries to the upper body. Ayers’ nephew, who also was on board, was taken to Palmetto Health Richland hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Ayers and his nephew were the only people on board the vessel, McCullough said. The boat was not involved with the Fishing League Worldwide Forrest Wood Cup tournament, which is happening this weekend at the lake.

This is the second fatal boat crash in Lake Murray this year. Two men were killed in April when their bass boat collided with a powerboat near Dreher Island State Park. An investigation found that the driver killed in that collision was at fault.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

This story was originally published August 13, 2017 at 9:58 AM with the headline "Lexington man killed, nephew injured in Lake Murray boat crash."