A man was charged with boating while intoxicated and not using his running lights after a crash on a South Carolina river killed two people, investigators said.

Dylan Steele was piloting one of three boats heading back to a landing in Newberry County when the crash happened around 9:45 p.m. Saturday on the Broad River near Heller’s Creek Landing, authorities said.

Please allow a clarification to the boating accident. There were three boats out on the river recreating. When they were leaving to return to the Heller’s Creek Landing one boat collided with one of the watercraft, killing two people on board. The third boat was not involved in the accident itself, but witnessed the event. We regret any confusion this may have caused. SCDNR has arrested one individual in the death of the two. We continue to offer our sympathy and condolences to those bereaved.

Newberry County Sheriff’s Office

Police Post on the Accident

Saturday night around 9:43pm, Fairfield County 911 received a call about a boating accident on Broad River. The call was transferred to Newberry County and telecommunicators were able to determine that there had been a collision between at least two boats with injuries and people in the water. Sheriff’s Office, EMS, Fire, Rescue, Water Rescue, and SCDNR were immediately dispatched to the Dominion Energy Heller’s Creek Recreation Area just off Broad River Road near Pomaria/Peak, SC.

Upon arrival, first responders began a search of the creek and the Broad River. Rescue personnel found the accident and began heroic measures to save the life of one of the victims. Another rescue crew began a search for other victims. Three were located in one boat with no apparent injuries, but one person was missing. The rescue crews continued to search and found the body of the missing boater. Unfortunately, the first victim did not survive.

It appears there were three boats involved in the accident as a group of five people were returning to the landing after recreating on the river.
SCDNR and the Newberry Coroner’s Office are investigating the accident and the death respectively.

Sheriff Foster commended the first responders for their efforts in difficult conditions on a remote area of the Broad River. All the first responders offer their condolences to the families that lost loved ones.

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