SC officials identify body after finding car submerged in pond before Christmas
Officials have identified the driver of an SUV pulled from a rural pond just two days before Christmas.
Wayne Register, 81, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was the only occupant found in a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe when it was pulled from a pond by S.C. Highway Patrol on private property on Penny Creek Road near Walterboro early on the morning of Dec. 23.
Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey identified the cause of death as drowning.
What caused the fatal accident is not yet clear. Register lived at the property where he was found submerged in his Tahoe around 4 a.m., Harvey said. A request for an update on the investigation from Highway Patrol was not immediately returned Monday morning.
Walterboro Live reports Register was found by a female relative, who dove into the water in an unsuccessful attempt to get him out before calling 911. Colleton County Fire-Rescue Chief Barry McRoy told the website that Register’s Tahoe had apparently been in the pond for several hours before it was discovered.
This story was originally published January 3, 2022 at 12:01 PM with the headline "SC officials identify body after finding car submerged in pond before Christmas."
.jpg)