Clarendon County Sheriff Tim Baxley said that residents and visitors who swim around the old U.S. 301 bridge between North Santee and Santee should think twice before jumping off that structure into Lake Marion.
Clarendon County Deputy Coroner Bucky Mock said the body of Joseph Cutter, 47, of Sumter was pulled out of the lake near the north causeway about 5:15 p.m. Sunday.
"It appears that he jumped off the bridge," said Baxley on Monday afternoon. "He and his friends had been fishing off the bridge, and statements indicate he said he had decided he was going to jump in the water."
Cutter allegedly jumped into the water, and his friends became concerned when he didn't come back up.
Mock said 911 was called about 4 p.m. Sunday. He said that first responders from the Clarendon County Fire Department, Sheriff's Office and EMS were joined by law enforcement officers and divers from the state Department of Natural Resources in the search for Cutter.
"It appears the water he was in was shallow," said Baxley. "We are waiting on the results from an autopsy, which will be performed Tuesday in Charleston, to determine what the exact cause of death was. At this point, we're not sure if he hit something and broke his neck or if he drowned."
Baxley said jumping from or diving from the bridge doesn't just endanger someone's life.
"But it's also illegal to jump off or dive off the old bridge," said Baxley. "It's posted there. You can and will be ticketed if DNR or one of my officers sees you."
Baxley said that "there's no telling what's in the water when you jump in it."
"Someone could have thrown something off," he said. "You can't see through the water, so it could be very shallow."
Baxley said that when the bridge was first closed to vehicle traffic more than two decades ago, it became a popular hangout.
"People would go out there and swim underneath the bridge and hang out on the bridge," said Baxley. "So, the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Transportation helped get the law passed and posted the signs about no diving or jumping from that bridge."
Baxley said that swimming under the bridge itself is also problematic.
"Part of that bridge where they swim is one of the main channels where boat traffic comes through," he said.
