Man charged in connection to July jet ski crash in Horry that killed 11-year-old

A man has been charged in connection to July jet ski crash that killed his 11-year-old son.

Raymond Hillman was been charged with knowingly letting a person under 16 operate a watercraft and the unlawful neglect of a child. He was arrested Aug. 24 and released the same day on a $25,000 bond, according to online booking records.

An intoxicated Hillman allowed the 11-year-old to operate the jet ski, which led to the crash, according to arrest warrants provided by the South Carolina Department of Resources, the arresting agency.

They were both hospitalized, and Hillman’s son was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to a DNR report obtained by My Horry News.

A witness saw the jet ski traveling fast near the water’s edge before hitting a tree and launching Hillman and his son face down in the water, according to the report.

Hillman’s had a blood alcohol level of .094% at the time the sample was taken, the newspaper noted of the report. The legal limit is .08%.

Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson told My Horry that Hillman wasn’t charged with boating under the influence because the investigation didn’t confirm who was driving the watercraft.

“He was sitting in the back; his son was sitting in the front,” Richardson said. “They talked with a bunch of witnesses and they had a real problem with saying he was driving. You can’t use the BUI unless you can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The crash happened on the Intracoastal Waterway in the area of Mr. Joe White Avenue in Myrtle Beach. Horry County Fire Rescue responded to the scene at 7:12 p.m., according to previous reporting.