Divers find missing SC kayaker’s body after days of searching Lake Hartwell

The body of an Upstate man whose kayak overturned in a lake was found Saturday.

Divers from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources recovered the body of William Shane Haguewood from Lake Hartwell around noon Saturday,

Haguewood, 47, was kayaking on Lake Hartwell near the Port Bass subdivision Wednesday when his kayak overturned around 4:45 p.m., according to Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis.

First responders, including Oconee County Emergency Services, have been searching for Haguewood since he went into the water.

Divers from DNR found Hageuwood 44 feet under the water, according to Addis. The coroner added that the water temperature at that depth was 49 degrees Fahrenheit with a surface water temperature of 52.

In his statement, Addis wrote that an autopsy will be performed on Tuesday.

Sudden immersion in cold water can cause cause “cold shock,” which produces significant changes in breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, according to the National Weather Service.

“The sudden gasp and rapid breathing alone creates a greater risk of drowning even for confident swimmers in calm waters,” according to the NWS.

Additionally, cold water can deplete body heat 25 times faster than the air causing rapid onset of hypothermia, according to the Center of Disease Control

Ted Clifford

The State

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Ted Clifford is the statewide accountability reporter at The State Newspaper. Formerly the crime and courts reporter, he has covered the Murdaugh saga, state and federal court, as well as criminal justice and public safety in the Midlands and across South Carolina. He is the recipient of the 2023 award for best beat reporting by the South Carolina Press Association.