Bond denied for man charged with BUI, officers to reconstruct deadly crash on Lake Murray

LAKE MURRAY, S.C. (WIS) - A man lost his life and two women were hurt when police say a man in a speed boat on Lake Murray ran into a pontoon boat over the weekend.

Officials with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) say the next step in the investigation is to reconstruct the deadly collision.

“We like to reconstruct every possible thing we can -- starting from when people left where, what directions people were going, everything leading up to the crash," Sgt. Hunter Robinson, with SCDNR, explained. "Our goal (is) to be able to 100% say -- this is what happened.”

The crash happened around 9 p.m. Saturday between the Rusty Anchor restaurant and Susie Ebert Island.

According to online records, bond was denied for 53-year-old Tracy Gordon, who is charged with three counts of felony BUI. SCDNR officials said he could face more charges as the investigation continues.

Gordon was driving a speed boat when hit a pontoon boat with three people in it -- a husband and wife and their daughter -- officials with SCDNR confirmed.

The husband was killed, his wife lost a leg and their daughter was also hurt.

Stanley Virgil Kiser, 68, of Chapin, died at the scene, the Richland County coroner confirmed.

Officials say Kiser was the driver of the pontoon boat that was struck by Gordon’s boat. Kiser died of multiple massive blunt force traumas to the head and torso, the coroner said.

“Obviously our hearts go out to the families involved in this,” Robinson said.

Robinson confirms both boats were moving at the time of the crash, and it happened outside of the no wake zone.

The details as to how the crash happened, along with the speed both boats were traveling, is still under investigation, according to SCDNR.

Robinson want people to stay vigilant.

“It’s kind of a common term that you hear, you know Labor Day being the unofficial end to summer, well that doesn’t mean it’s the end of boating,” Robinson said. “In South Carolina we’re fortunate to have weather that people boat year round, so it’s very important to keep this in mind year round, daytime, nighttime -- you just got to be safe, keep your head on a swivel, and be on the lookout for the other person at all times.”

Several agencies, including SCDNR, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Columbia Fire Department, and Irmo Fire Department were involved in the rescue effort.

The Richland County Coroner’s Office, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and SCDNR are investigating the incident.

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