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A tragic boating accident in Beaufort County, South Carolina on Friday evening (June 27, 2025) claimed the lives of two individuals and left two others hospitalized with injuries.
The crash occurred around 9:45 p.m. EDT in the Skull Creek area near Hilton Head Island. Emergency responders located all four victims aboard a single vessel involved in the incident.
Skull Creek is located just south of Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge.
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The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. The Beaufort County Coroner’s Office will release the names of the deceased once next of kin have been notified.
According to SCDNR, South Carolina reported 23 boating fatalities from 150 boating accidents in 2023. The previous year, there were 22 fatalities and 170 accidents. The highest number of boating accidents in the past decade occurred in 2021, when there were 201 accidents resulting in 21 fatalities.
With summer in full swing, SCDNR is offering free courtesy boat inspections across the state. Officers will check for proper safety equipment and registration compliance, answer boater questions and offer safety tips to help prevent tragedies on the water.
For more information on South Carolina’s boating laws, to locate a safety course or to download a free float plan form, contact the SCDNR Boating Safety Office at 800-277-4301 or visit SCNDR’s landing page.
To report boating violations—such as reckless operation or intoxicated drivers — call the SCDNR 24-hour hotline at 800-922-5431 or dial #DNR on your mobile phone.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Callie Lyons is a relentless investigative journalist, researcher, and author known for exposing hard truths with heart and precision. As a journalist for FITSNews, she dives into high-profile and murky cases—like that of Mica Francis Miller— with fearless resolve and a sharp eye for detail, whether it’s tracking white-collar crime, uncovering religious abuse, or examining the often-bizarre behavior of those who believe they’re above the law.
Callie made waves with her groundbreaking 2007 book Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal, the first to reveal the dangers of forever chemicals, a story that helped inspire the film Dark Waters and influenced global scientific dialogue. Her work has appeared in numerous documentaries, including Toxic Soup, National Geographic’s Parched: Toxic Waters, and more recently Citizen Sleuth, which examines the complexities of true crime podcasting.
Whether she’s navigating environmental disasters or the darker corners of society, Lyons operates with one guiding belief: “Truth never damages a cause that is just.”
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