Coroner identifies Midlands man who drowned swimming in lake
A young man who drowned in a Midlands lake over the weekend has been identified.
The Kershaw County Coroner’s Office said Justin Jenkins, 20, died while swimming with his girlfriend Saturday in Camden’s Kendall Lake.
Kershaw County dispatch received an emergency call received an emergency call around 3:35 p.m. Saturday that Jenkins had gone under the water in Kendall Lake and had not resurfaced. Emergency responders pulled Jenkins from the water around 3:52 p.m., and the Camden area resident was pronounced dead at the scene.
In July, the family of another drowning victim filed suit against the city of Camden over what they say are unsafe conditions at the lake, which is part of a city park and a popular swimming spot for locals.
The suit was brought after 13-year-old Jae’lyn Wells drowned in the lake this summer. Jae’lyn also disappeared for at least 22 minutes while swimming June 10 and had to be pulled from the water by a member of the Kershaw County dive team.
Attorney Richard Detwiler argues in the suit that Camden has no signs posted warning of the drowning risk from the lake, and Camden police do not regularly partrol the area and the lake lacks available live-saving equipment for swimmers, despite the fact a city ordinance prohibits unaccompanied minors from swimming in Kendall Lake. Five people have drowned in Kendall Lake since the area became a city park, the lawsuit says.
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