Surfers rush to rescue drowning man on HHI beach; doctors on shore couldn’t revive him
A 42-year-old Rincon, Georgia man drowned off the coast of a Hilton Head beach on Sunday afternoon. On Tuesday, officials identified the man as Jonathan King, who was with his wife for a day trip from their town located an hour west of Hilton Head.
Bystanders reportedly saw King struggling in the water just before 3:30 p.m. Sunday near marker 96 of Singleton Beach, located south of Folly Field. After two people with surfboards brought the man to the shore, nearby physicians attempted resuscitation efforts, which were continued by Hilton Head Fire Rescue crews upon their arrival.
The swimmer did not survive and he was pronounced dead at 4:20 p.m. Sunday, according to Beaufort County Coroner David Ott.
An autopsy was being conducted Tuesday morning, Ott said. King’s cause and manner of death were not immediately available.
Sunday’s incident was the first drowning on Hilton Head beaches in 2023, said beach patrol spokesperson Mike Wagner.
A spokesperson from Hilton Head Fire Rescue could not immediately be reached for additional information.
