Coroner: Man drowns after falling out of boat on Midlands pond

A man died Saturday after falling out of a boat on a Sumter County pond.

Effingham’s Joseph Causey Jr., 54, drowned, according to a release from Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Authorities responded at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday to a private pond in the 10500 block of Lynches River Road, according to the coroner’s office. Causey and a young relative were in a boat when Causey fell out, according to the coroner’s office.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the coroner’s office continue to investigate the incident.

This story was originally published July 23, 2023 at 7:49 AM.

Chris Trainor

The State

Chris Trainor is a retail reporter for The State and has been working for newspapers in South Carolina for more than 21 years, including previous stops at the (Greenwood) Index-Journal and the (Columbia) Free Times. He is the winner of a host of South Carolina Press Association awards, including honors in column writing, government beat reporting, profile writing, food writing, business beat reporting, election coverage, social media and more.