Tragedy on the Wateree River
A fun day of fishing turned tragic for two men on March 8, 2025 in the tailrace section of the Wateree River near Lugoff, SC. Officials found both bodies of the deceased men over the course of two days. The victims were 21-year-old Ulises Nicolas Quiroz of Richland County and 43-year-old Lonnie Hancock of Sumter County.
Conflicting reports made it unclear exactly why the two men were in the water, but numerous anglers who were present said a young boy and his dad fell into the river. The other adult apparently jumped in to help. A boater rescued the boy, who witnesses said was wearing a life jacket. But the two adults went under and never resurfaced.
According to Kershaw County Coroner David West, an autopsy will take place on the victims on March 11, but it is assumed drowning is the cause of death for both Quiroz and Hancock.
Wateree River’s tailrace is popular fishing spot
Will Glover, Executive Director of Safety and Emergency Services for Kershaw County, said they received a call around 4:15 p.m. on March 8 about two adults entering the water from the banks of the Wateree River and not resurfacing. Glover said crews went to the tailrace, and using boats and sonar equipment, looked for the men. As crews were beginning to take a break in the search due to darkness, they spotted something on sonar. Divers checked it out, and discovered one of the missing anglers. They resumed the search Sunday morning, and found the second body around mid-day.
The tailrace section of the Wateree River is a popular place for anglers, who have the chance to catch trophy-sized catfish year-round, as well as big numbers of stripers during certain times of the year. While many anglers fish from the concrete platform, others fish from the rocky outcroppings along the banks of the river. The current varies greatly depending on the amount of water being released from the dam. Numerous people have drowned in this area of the river over the past several decades.
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