A river search for missing South Carolina fisherman comes to a sad end

The body of a 38-year-old fisherman was found Friday morning after he drowned near the Lake Wateree Dam, the Kershaw County Fire Service said.

Kershaw County Coroner David West identified the man as Antonio Hernandez of Richland County. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.

After a 911 call for a possible drowning at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, the fire service, the Lugoff Fire Department and Kershaw County Emergency Medical Services responded to 1600 Tail Race Road in Lugoff, an area on the Wateree River behind the Lake Wateree Dam.

Divers searched the waters on and off for several hours, first being pulled from the water due to heavy storms, then again at 9 p.m. due to low visibility, as boat crews patrolled the area. By 10:30 p.m. that night, the search was called off until the morning, according to officials.

The search resumed Friday morning with the help of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and by 8:10 a.m., Hernandez was found dead.

Alexa Jurado

The State

Alexa Jurado is a news reporter for The State covering Lexington County and Richland County schools. She previously wrote about the University of South Carolina and contributes to this coverage. A Chicago suburbs native, Alexa graduated from Marquette University and previously wrote for publications in Illinois and Wisconsin. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Milwaukee Press Club and the South Carolina Press Association.