Coroner identifies kayaker who reportedly drowned in a Midlands lake. What we know
A kayaker from Summerville drowned in a Midlands lake, authorities say.
Orangeburg County Coroner Sean Fogle said that Henry Bryant IV, 44, of Sweetbriar Road in Summerville, died in Lake Marion near Eutawville. The coroner said preliminary investigations indicate Bryant died of “asphyxia due to drowning.”
The SC Department of Natural Resources began investigating on Saturday, March 15 after an empty kayak with equipment was discovered on Lake Marion, the department shared on social media platform X.
That search continued on Sunday, March 16, at which point the SCDNR said it had identified the kayaker and was using cellphone ping technology in an effort to locate him.
At about 6:30 p.m. Sunday, SCDNR shared on X that its dive team, using sonar, had located the missing kayaker.
Fogle said in a Monday release that the coroner’s office and DNR continue to investigate.
This story was originally published March 17, 2025 at 1:53 PM.
