ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WLOS) -- The Anderson County Coroner's Office has announced it's investigating the death of a woman who is suspected to have drowned after the boat she was a passenger on sank near Saddlers Creek State Park.
According to a release, the Anderson County Sheriff's Office Special Operations Team, Anderson County Fire Department, Anderson County Technical Rescue Team, Medshore Ambulance Service, Anderson County EMS, the Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, and the Office of the Coroner investigators responded to Saddlers Creek around 9:40 a.m. on Jan. 11 following reports of four persons in the water after a boat sunk.
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The Jan. 11 release said the victims were pulled from the water and taken to shore, with one of the victims being located approximately 20 to 30 feet from the shoreline face-down in the water and unresponsive.
The release said that bystanders pulled the victim from the water and initiated CPR until emergency medical services arrived and continued resuscitative efforts before transporting the victim to AnMed Hospital.
According to the release, the victim was non-responsive to treatment and was pronounced deceased at 11:47 a.m.
The release said the three other victims were also transported to the hospital for treatment, where all other victims were treated and released.
The release said the victim who passed on Jan. 11 has been identified as Kimberly Gomillion, 25, of Aiken, S.C., who died as a result of freshwater drowning.
The release said the investigation indicates that the victim was with her boyfriend and his family participating in a fishing tournament, the "Stripe Bass Challenge" on Lake Hartwell, when the boat appeared to have begun taking on water due to high winds and sink.
According to the release, all four victims were thrown into the water approximately 300 feet from the shoreline, where one victim was able to swim to shore; two victims were assisted by another boat, and Gomillion, who was located off the shoreline in the water.
The release said it appears that the victims were in the water for approximately 10 to 20 minutes before being rescued.
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Greg Shore, coroner of Anderson County, said in the release that this is the first death related to the fishing tournaments on Lake Hartwell in Anderson County.
The release said that Gomillion's death has been ruled accidental, and the investigation by the Anderson County Office of the Coroner and the Department of Natural Resources is ongoing.