Mother and son die after boat capsizes in SC lake

A mother and son died when the boat they were on became swamped and capsized in a South Carolina lake Sunday.

The accident happened around 7 p.m. in Lake Moultrie, a 60,000-acre lake in the Lowcountry, according to Capt. Robert McCullough of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

Three people were on the boat fishing when, “for whatever reason, the boat swamped,” McCullough said.

The owner of the boat, a man in his 70s, hung on to the jon boat as it went under, McCullough said. A younger man and a woman tried to swim to the shore but didn’t make it.

Berkeley County Coroner Bill Salisbury identified the victims Monday morning as 56-year-old Constance Brown and her son, 20-year-old Benjamin Brown.

Four young men found the overturned boat near Hatchery Landing and rescued all three victims, Salisbury said. The mother and son were pronounced dead at the landing. Their deaths were ruled accidental drownings.

It does not appear anyone on the boat was wearing a life jacket, McCullough said. The man who held on to the boat was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released.

The Department of Natural Resources continues to investigate the accident, including what caused the boat to swamp and overturn.

This story was originally published August 27, 2018 at 9:03 AM.