A boat owned by a Blythewood family sank into the depths of Lake Murray during the annual boat parade held near the Dreher Shoals dam on Saturday, June 30.
Brandon and Nichole Burleson were participants in the annual affair when their boat, a small 16ft 1983 Beechcraft, started taking on water. Other boaters noticed their predicament and came to aid and assist the Burlesons and their two children.
Nicole Burleson and her husband, a Ft. Jackson Drill Sergeant, and their two kids took part in the Fourth of July boat parade on Lake Murray when they say their boat was overtaken by water and sank.
“One of the wakes we went over and our nose came down, and as soon as that came down, another wake went up,” Burleson said. “And one of the people who helped us get out of the water said it looked like it was about 3 to 4 feet tall. And it just swooped over the open bow, filled up the seating area, and just took the boat down.”
No injuries were reported but the boat did completely submerge. Rescue operations are being conducted to retrieve the boat.
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