Good Samaritan Tried To Rescue Drowning Man Before Fatally Shooting Him In Self Defense: Cops

A 74-year-old man from South Carolina who fatally shot a man in self-defense after attempting to rescue him will not face any charges, officials said.

The incident happened on March 15 when the unidentified elderly man, along with his wife, was on a boat at Lake Keowee. The elderly couple then spotted a young man, now identified as 29-year-old Nathan Drew Morgan from Walhalla, and a woman drowning in the lake after they fell off their jet ski, Miami Herald reported.

The duo did not have life jackets, and their jet ski was circling in the lake. The elderly man then steered his pontoon boat toward the pair and pulled them from the water. However, while he was on the pontoon, Morgan became agitated and started assaulting the couple who rescued them.

The woman who was with Morgan pushed him back to the water to diffuse the situation. But, the couple on the pontoon rescued him again from the water. However, when the assault escalated for the second time, the elderly man shot Morgan, fearing their lives, police said.

Morgan died on the boat from a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the Oconee County Coroner’s Office.

The investigators believe that Morgan may have been intoxicated and wanted to get back on the jet ski. He may have argued with the woman found along with him even before they fell into the water, cops said.

Based on the evidence presented by the investigators, the 10th Circuit Solicitor’s Office ruled that the shooting was done in self-defense. All parties have been notified of the decision to not move forward with charges, Oconee County Sheriff’s Office said.

Meanwhile, the residents in the area said the incident was unexpected. "That’s very surprising, especially the area it was in. Certainly, have never seen anything like that or heard anything that like that," Brandon Thomas, a resident in the area said, as reported by WSPA.

According to an online obituary, Morgan was a member of Flat Shoals Baptist Church and "enjoyed being on the water, fishing, sitting around a campfire, and playing basketball."