The deceased................
Posted on 03/21/2022 8:21:06 AM PDT by billorites
A boater who rescued a man in distress — twice — and then fatally shot him in South Carolina will not be charged because he was acting in self-defence, according to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office.
The boater was on a pontoon vessel with his wife on Lake Keowee last week when the couple spotted a man and a woman in distress in the water. The man and woman had fallen from a jet ski and did not have life jackets, a news release from the sheriff’s office explained. Morgan and the woman may have been arguing before they ended up in the water, investigators said.
The boater piloted the pontoon to the people in distress, while the jet ski continued doing circles in the lake.
The jet-skiers boarded the pontoon, but the man — identified as Nathan Drew Morgan, 29 — was agitated and started assaulting his rescuers.
The woman who had been on the jet ski with Morgan pushed him back into the water to try to defuse the situation.
Once more, the couple on the pontoon helped Morgan back on to the boat, however, he continued to be aggressive.
The boater feared for his and his wife’s lives, and shot Morgan while he assaulted them, police said.
Morgan died of a gunshot wound to his chest, according to the Oconee County coroner, Karl Addis.
Witness Michael Davitt lives on Lake Keowee and saw the rescue of the man and woman in the water, as well as the fight that followed.
“This went on for 25, almost 30 minutes,” he told WYFF. “The boat just kept going. Fisticuffs. A lot of swearing going on. A lot of back and forth.”
Davitt called police after he thought he heard a gunshot.
Prosecutors from Oconee County said no charges would be filed based on the evidence. They said the shooting was in self-defense.
Was this person visiting from Florida?
/ducking
Florida man moved to South Carolina.
What a crazy story. I was reading that earlier.
STUPID crosses state borders.
One of the most dangerous calls for a police officer is one involving a domestic quarrel. And that goes double for a civilian who is intervening.
That is not meant as a criticism of the boater. He was just trying to do the right thing.
This is one crazy rescue.
Probably saved the taxpayers a boatload..
Some people just don’t want to be rescued.
The deceased................
I am going to guess there was probably a substantial amount of alcohol involved.
Obit for the dead guy:
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/nathan-morgan-obituary?id=33700833
“Nathan Drew Morgan, 29, of Walhalla, SC, passed away on Tuesday, March 15, 2022.
A native of Asheville, NC, Drew was the son of Blane Morgan and the late Pamela Annette Davis. He was a member of Flat Shoals Baptist Church. Drew enjoyed being on the water, fishing, sitting around a campfire, and playing basketball.
In addition to his father, Drew is survived by a son: Bentley Mason Morgan.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial may be made to Flat Shoals Baptist Church, 656 Flat Shoals Road, Walhalla, SC 29691.
The family is at their respective homes.”
Boating makes the case for stainless steel firearms.
Clearly he was an idiot.
Sounds like he deserved to be shot.
;>)
They say, "The third time is the charm."
No life jackets, no emergency stop safety lanyard. Probably no boater safety class either.
LOL
And no brains (or way too many beers)...
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