Search for missing boater on Lake Murray continues

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Officials with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) are continuing their search for a Columbia resident who went missing on Sunday.

Friends and family say the victim is 31-year-old Terrance Butler, an employee with the Department of Juvenile Justice, Corporal in the National Guard and father of a 4-year-old girl.

“We were having such an amazing time on July 31… and then for a freak accident like this to occur is tragic. It’s overwhelming. I feel lost,” said Lakesa McGraw, Butler’s girlfriend of five years.

According to McGraw, Butler jumped from a pontoon boat during her sister’s birthday party after 4 p.m. on Sunday. The incident occurred near Acapulco Island and Dreher Island State Park.

“He didn’t have on his life jacket, and he didn’t come back up. And so, the rest of the day is like a blur to me,” continued McGraw.

The SCDNR dive team and aviation unit say they are conducting an extensive search but recognize the area is ‘quite large.’

Butler’s friends and family have vowed to return to Dreher Island every day until he is found.

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