Bluffton couple identified as victims in weekend Hilton Head boat crash
A husband and wife from Bluffton were identified as the two victims of a deadly Friday night boat crash on Skull Creek.
Patsy Montgomery, 73, and her husband, James Montgomery, 76, were pronounced dead on scene shortly after the accident, according to the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office.
The causes of death for the couple would be determined through their autopsies, which were scheduled for Monday, said Chief Deputy Coroner Shane Bowers.
The boating accident occurred around 9:45 p.m. Friday in the waters of Skull Creek, which runs between Pinckney Island and northwest Hilton Head.
The two remaining occupants on the boat were brought to the dock at Skull Creek Boathouse before being taken to Hilton Head Medical Center for their injuries, according to a police report from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
The coroner’s office was not yet aware of who was driving the boat at the time of the accident, Bowers said. Staff were awaiting information from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, which was leading the investigation.
The couple’s obituaries or funeral arrangements had not been made public as of Monday morning.
“I’m at a loss for words over the tragic boat accident last night,” Hilton Head Island Mayor Alan Perry wrote in a social media post Saturday afternoon. “My heart and prayers are with the families of the deceased and those who are injured. May God’s hand provide comfort during these trying times.”
This story was originally published June 30, 2025 at 12:08 PM.
