SC - Mallory Beach, 19, found deceased after boat crash, Beaufort Co, 24 Feb 2019 *Alex Murdaugh charged*

[cybervampira]

South Carolina Teen, 19, Goes Missing After Boat Crash: 'We Are Praying That We Find Her Alive'

A 19-year-old woman from South Carolina has been missing since 2 a.m. on Sunday after a boat she was on crashed into a bridge in Beaufort County, numerous outlets report.

Mallory Beach, the youngest of three sisters, according to the Island Packet, is a former student at the University of South Carolina. As of Sunday, 20 of her closest friends and family have been awaiting updates on her whereabouts.

According to Capt. Robert Mcullough, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources stopped the search when it became dark, but he said that they would start again Monday morning at 8 a.m., the outlet reports.

DNR is the lead investigating agency in the crash and did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Their spokesman, David Lucas, told Island Packet that it’s “an all-hands-on-deck situation.”

“She’s always happy. Everybody loves her, loves being around her,” her sister Savannah Tuten told the newspaper. “We are still hoping and praying that we find her alive.”

 

[AmandaSkis]

Five others were injured in the crash so she wasn’t alone. I’m hopeful she will be found but if the others were rescued, I’m very worried for her.

 

[GraceG]

A boat crash at 2 a.m. usually indicates high speed and alcohol. I can't say at that age I did things any wiser. But as a Mom, I do hope she is found or at least she died on impact and can be brought home for closure with her family.

 

[yarnball]

This article has more details about the crash from the missing girl's boyfriend Anthony Cook, who was on the boat, and a small update on search progress.

Missing teen’s boyfriend shares details of Beaufort County boat crash as search continues

A few quotes in particular of note:

Cook said the group had traveled from the Chechessee area to an oyster roast Saturday evening, later docked in downtown Beaufort and was on the way back when the crash occurred.

At one point on the return trip, there was a dispute among others on the boat over who should be driving, Cook said.

They were driving the boat home from a social gathering at 2 a.m. Was alcohol involved? Even more interesting, what was the "dispute" about "who should be driving" the boat? Speculation: maybe the driver had been drinking, and one or more of the other passengers thought he or she was driving unsafely.

He said he was sitting in the floor of the boat holding Beach in his lap with both facing the back of the boat, and neither wearing life jackets when the vessel struck something.

Mallory Beach wasn't wearing her life jacket... sad and just so avoidable.

A Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office police report says the 17-foot Sea Hunt struck a piling on the bridge. It says the boat “was turned right” and beached itself at the base of the bridge.

Cook said he blacked out after impact and was on the other side of the bridge when he regained consciousness. He swam to grab a piling while yelling for Beach, then swam to the other side of the bridge and continued calling for her, Cook said.

He later climbed to a bank, removed his clothes and went back into the water to keep searching. The cold and swift-moving water forced him back to shore, he said.

I really feel bad for this kid, he tried his best to save his girlfriend, but there was nothing else he could have done. The other five people on the boat survived with injuries.

Reading this, it seems likely that Mallory Beach was knocked unconscious from the impact, and then was swept down the river while not wearing a life jacket. Poor girl.

The search is focused on the area of the crash and will systematically move out from there, S.C. Department of Natural Resources Capt. Robert McCullough said.

Rescuers are still hoping Beach will be found alive, he said Monday morning, but the likelihood the search becomes a recovery effort is increasing.

“The problem is we don’t have an exact location — it doesn’t look like a big area until you try to start searching the bottom, and it’s a huge area,” McCullough said.

It's been almost 48 hours since Mallory went missing. What goes into the authorities' decision as to when to call it a recovery operation?

 

[yarnball]

Recent update here:

Was alcohol a factor in Beaufort Co. boating accident? Officials are investigating

Not much new on the search for Mallory, but the search crew has transitioned to a recovery effort:

The search for a 19-year-old who went overboard after an early morning boat crash off Parris Island on Sunday is transitioning to a recovery effort more than 48 hours after she went missing, authorities said.

Some more information on the investigation into the circumstances of the crash:

(S.C. Department of Natural Resources) continues to investigate the circumstances of the crash, (DNR Capt. Robert) McCullough said. Alcohol was on the boat but it’s not yet known whether it was a factor in the crash, he said.

When asked if anyone on the boat was tested for blood alcohol content via breathalyzer or bloodwork, McCullough responded, “Not that I’m aware of.”

Who was driving the boat at the time of the crash is also being investigated, he said. A Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office report doesn’t say who was driving the boat, and a portion is redacted.

Investigators have not talked to everyone on the boat because some have legal representation, McCullough said.

McCullough, a DNR spokesman, couldn’t immediately say which passengers are being represented by attorneys.

Some of Mallory's friends are saying on social media that (speculation) authorities have given very little information to date to protect the potential driver of the boat, whose parents may be well-connected through either money or rank at the nearby Marine Corps base on Parris Island (/speculation). In any event, they seem understandably upset and frustrated.

Hopefully more information comes out soon.

 

[cybervampira]

Missing teen’s family ask for Beaufort County boater community’s help in search

The family of Mallory Beach — a teen who went missing after an early morning boat crash Sunday — is asking for the boater community’s help in finding her.

Anyone able to search should focus on the Broad River or in any of the inlets, Randy Beach, Mallory’s uncle, said Wednesday night.

 

[sasha17]

UPDATE: Search for missing Beaufort teen is still a rescue mission

 

[cybervampira]

 

[cybervampira]

Who Is Mallory Beach? New Details About The S.C. Teen Who Went Missing After A Boat Crash

She fell overboard.

Emergency crews are searching for a 19-year-old woman who fell overboard during a boat crash Sunday morning.

Mallory Beach disappeared following a boating accident near Parris Island around 2 a.m. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the lead agency on the crash, says the investigation into the cause of the crash is still in its early stages and ongoing.

“She’s always happy. Everybody loves her, loves being around her,” her sister Savannah Tuten told the Island Packet. “We are still hoping and praying that we find her alive.”

So who is Mallory Beach? Here's what we know so far.

[...]

 

[becks_]

so sad this could of been prevented . I hope it dosent take long for them to find her.

 

[GuyfromCanada]

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. – A body has been found in South Carolina near where a woman was reported missing after being ejected from a boat that hit a bridge piling.

The Beaufort County Coroner’s Office took custody of the body. Authorities are working to determine a cause of death and identification. An autopsy is planned.

The clothing found on the body is similar to what 19-year-old Mallory Beach was reported to have been wearing when she was ejected from a boat in Archer Creek on February 24, according to the sheriff’s office.

Body found near South Carolina boat crash site where teen went missing, officials say

 

[Darling136]

Beaufort County Coroner: Body found in marsh is that of missing woman

Found deceased

 

[Missing Susan]

Very troubling aftermath to this tragedy. Participants are all lawyered up and politically conflicted. Pretty good summary in this article.

Mallory Beach Investigation: Will There Be Justice?

 

[Gardenista]

Police report from accident

Police Report from Mallory Beach investigation

 

[Gardenista]

Tons of good links in the article @Missing Susan posted

Powerful SC family faces scrutiny following boat crash that killed 19-year-old woman

Mallory Beach death investigation: Why was no one breathalyzed after crash?

 

[Gardenista]

Former solicitor allowed underage drinking before fatal Beaufort Co. boat crash, suit alleges

 

[Gardenista]

Fire, EMS dispatched to wrong bridge in fatal Beaufort Co. boat crash, 911 calls show

 

[cybervampira]

 

[cybervampira]

 

[cybervampira]