Body Recovered from Catawba River Near Highway 9 Bridge in Lancaster County

LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. — Authorities are working to identify a man whose body was recovered Wednesday afternoon from the Catawba River near the Highway 9 bridge, which spans the Chester-Lancaster county line.

The discovery was made after a motorist driving across the bridge on Chester Highway around midday on August 6 reported seeing what appeared to be a human body floating in the water. The call was directed to the Chester County Sheriff’s Office, which then requested support from multiple agencies.

Personnel from the Chester and Lancaster County sheriff’s offices, fire and rescue teams from both counties, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and the coroners’ offices responded to the scene. The body, later confirmed to be that of an adult male, was recovered by Lancaster County Fire-Rescue near the riverbank on the Lancaster County side around 1:00 p.m.

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The man’s identity remains unknown, and an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause and manner of death, as well as to assist in identification. Investigators plan to continue searching the area for any evidence and are coordinating with nearby jurisdictions to review active missing persons reports.

Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile released a statement urging the public to help:

“A family is missing a loved one, and we want to identify this man and determine how he ended up in the river as soon as possible. I encourage anyone with information about a missing person who could be this man to contact the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office or your local law enforcement agency as soon as possible.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office at 803-283-3388 (Option 4), or submit a tip anonymously at www.p3tips.com/983 or through the P3Tips mobile app.

Note: All individuals mentioned in connection with investigations are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.