Tragedy on Skull Creek: What we know, don’t know about Hilton Head’s fatal boat crash
Based on preliminary findings, state investigators said the weekend’s double boating fatality off Hilton Head Island involved a collision between the mid-sized vessel and a day marker.
The crash around 9:45 p.m. Friday claimed the lives of Sun City couple Patsy Montgomery, 73; and James Montgomery, 76, both of whom died of drowning, according to Beaufort County Chief Deputy Coroner Shane Bowers. Rescue crews recovered their bodies after a multi-hour search in the waters of Skull Creek.
The two other people on the capsized boat were brought to a nearby marina before being taken to Hilton Head Medical Center for treatment. Their conditions as of Wednesday were unknown.
Two dogs aboard the vessel were also killed in the collision, according to a statement from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
The Montgomerys were active members of Beaufort’s Community Bible Church. The church will host a funeral service for the couple at 10:30 a.m. July 11 at the church’s main campus at 638 Parris Island Gateway, according to Dr. Josh Stone, pastor of the Beaufort location.
The search for the couple involved a number of water units and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter that departed from Savannah’s Hunter Airfield about 30 minutes after the crash. Flight records show the helicopter patrolling a two-mile stretch of Skull Creek, also extending its search north into the Chechessee River and along the northwest shores of Hilton Head.
Day markers are green or red signs attached to posts or pilings in the water, typically unlit and meant to be used for daytime navigation. They are commonly seen in the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway as a way to help boaters identify the edges of a channel.
As is standard for boat crashes, state investigators were leading the probe into the deadly incident. DNR officials on Saturday took possession of the vessel, described as a 30-foot sport fishing boat, at the docks near Skull Creek Boathouse.
Little was known as of Wednesday about the circumstances behind the nighttime collision, and officials had not yet disclosed the identity of the boat’s driver. No criminal charges had been filed in connection with the case.
Friday’s fatalities were among the first boating-related deaths in Beaufort County since the infamous Beaufort-area boat crash in 2019 that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach.
This story was originally published July 2, 2025 at 1:33 PM.
