Fire at Hilton Head home rented by tourists leaves 1 person dead, another critically injured
A fire at a short-term rental home early Friday on Hilton Head where tourists were staying left one person dead and another critically injured.
Authorities responded to the house fire on Dinghy Lane in the Palmetto Dunes resort community just after 3 a.m. Friday, according to Hilton Head Fire Rescue and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
When first responders arrived, three of the house’s six occupants had evacuated safely. Two others were removed from the house by Fire Rescue, with one taken to the JMS Burn Center at the Doctors Hospital of Augusta, Georgia, with serious injuries.
The residence’s final occupant, Robert Carpenter, 65, of St. Joseph, Missouri, was found dead inside the home.
The cause of death is still being determined, according to Beaufort County Coroner David Ott. An autopsy is scheduled for Sunday morning.
The identities of the others involved were not immediately released.
Damage to the home was “significant,” according to a press release from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Police and fire rescue vehicles remained at the scene at 12 noon, according to Maj. Angela Viens, a spokesperson for the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. Police were diverting traffic around the street.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is assisting in the investigation to determine the cause and origin of the fire.
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This story was originally published September 9, 2022 at 12:52 PM.
