Update: Hilton Head drowning victim identified as 49-year-old father
A drowning off Hilton Head Island’s South Beach claimed the life of a 49-year-old man Thursday evening, according to officials. Saumen Kundu, a Georgia resident, died just before 8 p.m., according to Beaufort County Chief Coroner Shane Bowers.
Just after 7 p.m., Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue received a report of multiple swimmers in distress near South Sea Pines Drive at mile marker 5. The swimmers were a Georgia father and his juvenile son who were caught in a strong current, said Lt. Daniel Allen of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Before fire crews and lifeguards arrived, several beachgoers had entered the water with flotation devices in attempts to keep the dad and son afloat. Fire Rescue and Shore Beach Services got to the beach around 7:15 p.m. and helped the group remove the swimmers from the water.
The father was “unresponsive” on the beach and was pronounced dead on the scene, Allen said. His son was unharmed.
Mike Wagner, director of Shore Beach Services, confirmed that the current became stronger off Hilton Head’s coastline as the tide rose Thursday evening. Shore Beach Service lifeguards do patrol South Beach, but their hours ended before 7 p.m.
Thursday evening’s incident marked the fourth drowning in Beaufort County waters so far this summer.
On June 30, a 69-year-old man was pulled from the surf near Hilton Head’s Coligny Beach Park and pronounced dead. The next day, a a 65-year-old photographer from Decatur was pulled from the surf at Hunting Island State Park and pronounced dead of drowning.
Another father drowned July 4 on Hunting Island as he tried to hold his son above rough waters. He was pronounced dead after beachgoers and first responders attempted CPR on the shoreline.
In a public safety alert sent Friday morning, sheriff’s office personnel urged visitors to local beaches “to take water safety seriously.”
The agency shared resources to check real-time beach conditions on Hilton Head and coastline weather advisories. Deadly water hazards like rip currents are more common during hurricane season.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the approximate time of rescue crews’ arrival.
This story was originally published July 25, 2025 at 9:29 AM.
