STRANGER THAN FICTION

No Charges for Boater Who Rescued, Then Fatally Shot Drowning Man

A man on a pontoon boat who helped rescue two jet skiers in distress acted in self-defense, South Carolina prosecutors said.

Charges will not be filed against a man who shot a jet skier he helped rescue from a South Carolina lake earlier this week, according to court records. Oconee County prosecutors decided that the unidentified Good Samaritan, a 74-year-old pontoon boater, acted in self-defense when he shot 29-year-old Nathan Drew Morgan, a statement from the sheriff’s office said. On Tuesday, the boater and his wife spotted Morgan and another jet skier in distress on Lake Keowee. They pulled the drowning pair out of the water, only for Morgan to become agitated and “began assaulting the couple on the pontoon,” according to the release. Authorities said they believed Morgan wanted to return to his jet ski, which continued to spin driverless in circles on the water, NBC News reported. The sheriff’s office explained on Tuesday that the woman with Morgan initially pushed him back into the lake in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. After he was pulled back onboard by the older couple, Morgan began acting erratically again, and the older man shot him in fear for the safety of those on the boat. Morgan died on the pontoon, officials said.