January 22, 2019
At approximately 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 21, 2019, officers with the South Carolina Department of Natural resources responded to an overturned boat call in Georgetown County.
A duck hunter had flipped his boat in the area of Butler Creek off of Pee Dee River.
Officers were able to determine the Murrells Inlet man was heading back to the land at low tide when he hit an object and was ejected into the water. He was not wearing his kill switch and the boat with his dog continued forward before going into marsh grass.
The hunter managed to get back to his boat, but it filled with water while he was reaching over the side for the kill switch, leaving the hunter and his dog in the water.
A friend was able to successfully retrieve the hunter and his dog and bring them back to land. He was checked by EMS and refused to go to the hospital.
An investigation is ongoing.
Georgetown County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Coast Guard and Midway Fire Rescue also responded.