‘It was just shocking’: Teen describes moment he found body in ditch in Socastee

Authorities are conducting a death investigation after a teen boy found a body in a ditch in the Socastee area Saturday morning.

Anthony Lemay, 13, said he was riding his bicycle about 7:30 a.m. when he discovered a black Nike shoe on the side of the road.

“I was just riding around and went to the top of the road and saw a shoe,” Lemay told The Sun News. “I tried looking for another shoe.”

That’s when Lemay looked in a ditch and found a person he said appeared to be a middle-aged man.

“He was bloated up, all red,” Lemay added. “I’ve never seen nothing like that before. It was just shocking, surprising.”

Capt. John Harrelson with the Horry County Police Department said the body was found off Peachtree Road.

Harrelson said the South Carolina Highway Patrol is leading the investigation and added the exact circumstances surrounding the person’s death are still being determined.

But he did say a preliminary investigation indicates it appears to be traffic related.

A Sun News reporter on scene said Peachtree Road was blocked with crime scene tape between Julious Lane and Cornwall Drive.

No other information is available at this time.

Michaela Broyles: 843-626-0281, @MichaelaBroyles

This story was originally published August 18, 2018 at 8:50 AM with the headline "‘It was just shocking’: Teen describes moment he found body in ditch in Socastee."