Significant injuries reported in bass boat crash at Lake Marion

COLUMBIA, SC Two Sumter men were airlifted to a Columbia hospital Monday after crashing their bass boat into a stand of trees along the shoreline of Lake Marion.

The men’s identities were not immediately available, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. A third man, who also was in the boat, suffered cuts and bruises in the Memorial Day crash, an agency spokesman said.

“I hate to speculate’’ on how the crash occurred, DNR Capt. Robert McCullough said. “But I don’t think they went into those trees by choice.’’

McCullough said his agency received a call about 4:15 p.m. that a 15-foot boat had crashed on the lake’s middle section near the Taw Caw marina outside Summerton. Initial reports were that a loud noise preceded the crash into the trees, McCullough said.

McCullough said the men ranged in age from 18 to 39. No charges have been filed, he said. One of the men airlifted to Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital had head and leg injuries, while the other suffered chest injuries, he said.

“I think they were stable, but in pretty bad shape,’’ he said. “It’s still under investigation. We’re looking into it.’’

Lake Marion is South Carolina’s largest recreational reservoir at 110,000 acres. It stretches from the Sparkleberry Swamp on its upper end to near Lake Moultrie, its sister lake, on the lower end. Lake Marion routinely attracts boaters and fishermen, and can become particularly busy on big holiday weekends such as Memorial Day.

This story was originally published May 25, 2015 at 7:48 PM with the headline "Significant injuries reported in bass boat crash at Lake Marion."