Update: Coast Guard leading investigation into boating accident that killed 11-year-old

The United States Coast Guard is now leading an investigation into a fatal boating accident on the Intracoastal Waterway that killed an 11-year-old girl earlier this month.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources announced the transition on Friday in a Twitter post, stating it was standard when a commercial vehicle was involved.

A 23-foot boat carrying 12 people was traveling on the Intracoastal Waterway in Little River when it was rocked by a large wake caused by another boat, according to authorities. The waves resulted in nine of the occupants going overboard, including the young girl.

The Horry County Coroner’s Office identified the 11-year-old girl as Olivia Knighton of Massachusetts. She died after being struck by a propeller, officials said.

An incident report from Horry County Fire Rescue, the first to respond to the scene, details that the boat was running behind and attempted to cross a wake when the bow tipped down, throwing nine people in.

No one else was injured.

The accident marked the third deadly incident on the Intracoastal Waterway in July.

This story was originally published July 28, 2023 at 4:03 PM.