Lake Jocassee fatality - South Carolina

[DandyDon]

https://www.thestate.com/news/state/south-carolina/article278226378.html

A 50-year-old man from Florida died after an “incident” on a popular South Carolina lake, officials said. The man had been diving at a lake when he “became unresponsive.” He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead Saturday, Aug. 12, according to the Pickens County Coroner’s Office. Officials said it happened on Lake Jocassee, a body of water that’s popular for fishing and viewing waterfalls. It happened at The Wall, a rock feature along the lakeshore about 40 miles northwest of Greenville. The man was identified in a news release as Anthony Reno, who lived in the Jacksonville-area community of Fleming Island. Officials didn’t share Reno’s cause of death in their news release but said an autopsy will be scheduled. In addition to the coroner’s office, the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources reportedly are investigating the incident.

 

[Blackwater Hunter]

It's pretty notable that they didn't use the term "drowned" in this article. Kudos to the author for not being speculative (A lot of other articles weren't speculative either). The part that's even more odd about this tragedy is the location. If it happened at the Wall, then he died in shallow water. The articles didn't mention if he even died underwater anyway. The way it says "became unresponsive" is telling me, the reader, that someone witnessed him go unconscious. I know this was back in August, but there haven't been any updates to this story to my knowledge. I know it's up to the family to release the cause of death, but I feel that the cause should be revealed to the Scuba community. Tragedies like this offer a lesson and a reminder to everyone of the risks of the sport. There is always time for a safety brief.

i-Boating : Free Marine Navigation Charts & Fishing Maps

 

[1988smt]

I'm sure when most divers read the wall in regards to SCUBA, they think of that u/w drop off. That isn't the case at Jocassee - the wall refers to the area that was quarried out.

Rising from the water near the dam is a vertical wall up to 200′ high, and over 1500′ long. This wall was quarried to make the dam.

 

[nydivetripper]

I'm sure when most divers read the wall in regards to SCUBA, they think of that u/w drop off. That isn't the case at Jocassee - the wall refers to the area that was quarried out.

Rising from the water near the dam is a vertical wall up to 200′ high, and over 1500′ long. This wall was quarried to make the dam.

Thanks fer cleerin that up fer the rest of us dum SCUBA divers who didn't know that lakes was differnt than tha ocean

 

[1988smt]

Thanks fer cleerin that up fer the rest of us dum SCUBA divers who didn't know that lakes was differnt than tha ocean

Glad I could help you out there New York.
Such a joy

 

[wgw04024]

I'm sure when most divers read the wall in regards to SCUBA, they think of that u/w drop off. That isn't the case at Jocassee - the wall refers to the area that was quarried out.

Rising from the water near the dam is a vertical wall up to 200′ high, and over 1500′ long. This wall was quarried to make the dam.

Glad we could clear this up 3 years later...

 

[PatrickShepherd]

Happen to run across this looking for data at Jocassee totally unrelated to this and figured I would chime in. “The wall” is an area quarried out as stated but it was done in “steps” per se and the map shown is very misleading at best. There is a vast shallow area but rarely does anyone dive here other than some open water classes. All the good area ranges from 60-130 area where there are multiple dive areas staged with sunken boats and hundreds of plastic flamingos. Even an old toilet on the edge of the drop off. That toilet is at 137’ deep and below said toilet is a real wall going to the bottom. I done AOW and stress & rescue here in 2005 and probably have 20-30 dives on that area. It’s deep and as we know that’s not always good for everyone. Now aside from that does anyone know the water temps for the thermoclines? That was my google search that brought me here.

 

[1988smt]

Now aside from that does anyone know the water temps for the thermoclines? That was my google search that brought me here.

Cold in the 50°f range.

And when Jones finds that thermocline, which can range from 40 to 70 feet deep, depending on the day and area of the lake, he trolls with downriggers.

“I’m looking for water temperatures in the 55- to 65-degree range. That’s what trout are constantly searching for. It’s easy to find thanks to the thermocline, and by using the temperature sensor on my downriggers,” he said.

Jocassee’s thermocline trout

In June, anglers can catch plenty of Lake Jocassee trout by finding the lake’s thermocline.

www.carolinasportsman.com

​

 

[PatrickShepherd]

Cold in the 50°f range.

And when Jones finds that thermocline, which can range from 40 to 70 feet deep, depending on the day and area of the lake, he trolls with downriggers.

“I’m looking for water temperatures in the 55- to 65-degree range. That’s what trout are constantly searching for. It’s easy to find thanks to the thermocline, and by using the temperature sensor on my downriggers,” he said.

Jocassee’s thermocline trout

In June, anglers can catch plenty of Lake Jocassee trout by finding the lake’s thermocline.

www.carolinasportsman.com

​

Thank you, it’s been a long time since I had been there so I wanted to do it for this weekend and tried to find information so I k ew what thickness wetsuit to bring.

 

[1988smt]

Thank you, it’s been a long time since I had been there so I wanted to do it for this weekend and tried to find information so I k ew what thickness wetsuit to bring.

Are you diving Sunday? I am tied up Saturday but always looking for an excuse to get out there and dive.