South Carolina man’s body discovered on embankment under a bridge, coroner says

An investigation is underway after a South Carolina man’s body was found under a bridge Saturday, according to the Oconee County Coroner’s Office.

Richard Christian Craig, a 21-year-old from the Westminster/Fair Play area, was found dead beneath a bridge on Blackjack Road, Coroner Karl Addis said. The bridge goes over Lake Hartwell, in the area near Foxwood Hills, which isn’t far from the state line between South Carolina and Georgia.

Craig’s body was discovered on an embankment beneath the bridge, not in the lake, according to Addis. It was found at about 9:45 a.m., the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office said.

In addition to the coroner’s office, members of the sheriff’s office’s Criminal Investigations Bureau and a crime scene technician responded to the scene.

The coroner said it’s believed Craig died Friday after he fell down an embankment.

No other injuries were reported.

An autopsy was performed Monday and it was determined that Craig died from hypothermia due to environmental exposure, according to the coroner’s office. While Craig did have injuries consistent with falling beneath the bridge, none of the injuries were considered fatal, the coroner said.

Results of toxicology tests are pending, but the coroner said Craig’s manner of death was accidental.

The sheriff’s office said it believes Craig’s death does not pose an ongoing threat to the public.

The death continues to be investigated by the sheriff’s office and coroner’s office.

Anyone with information about the death is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 844-71-CRIME, or submit an online tip.

This story was originally published January 19, 2025 at 10:59 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription