Man’s body recovered in Lake Murray day after he fell off a boat, SC officials say

A missing man’s body was recovered the day after he fell off a boat and disappeared in Lake Murray, South Carolina officials said Wednesday.

Ernie K. Wertz, a 72-year-old Saluda resident, was found in the area of the lake near Little River Landing, the Saluda County Coroner’s Office said.

Wertz is a suspected drowning victim, according to the coroner’s office.

At about 5 p.m. Tuesday, deputies responded to a call about a person who fell into Lake Murray from a boat, the Saluda County Sheriff’s Office said. Wertz was on board a small boat before he fell into the water, according to the coroner’s office.

A search was launched that included the marine unit from the sheriff’s office as well as members of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the Newberry County Water Rescue and Dive Team, and Little Mountain Rescue Squad.

The search went into the night and was suspended at about midnight, the coroner’s office said. When the search resumed in the morning, the body was recovered at about 9:30 a.m., according to the sheriff’s office.

Information about the depth of the water in the area of Lake Murray where Wertz was found was not available.

The death is being investigated by DNR, the sheriff’s office and the coroner’s office.

This is not the first death reported in Lake Murray this year.

In June, the DNR said it recovered the body of a missing boater near the Lake Murray dam. Officials said the death was an accidental drowning, WPDE reported.

In April, the DNR dive team recovered the body of a male boater after he fell overboard around Buffalo Creek near the Grant Williams Estates, the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office said. The man was a Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, resident who was visiting Lake Murray with his wife, according to DNR.

In late 2021, the body of another man who went missing on Lake Murray was recovered after several days.

On Oct. 26, a 36-year-old man disappeared after he got on his boat at a Lake Murray marina off U.S. 378 about 3 a.m., law enforcement officers told The State. The boat was found near Spence’s Point, but it wasn’t until Nov. 6 that his body was recovered. The Lexington County Coroner’s Office said no foul play was suspected.