Missing man found dead in Beaufort County waterway, officials say
Editor’s note: This story has been updated.
Authorities have identified the body recovered from a Beaufort County waterway Tuesday morning as 63-year-old Daufuskie Island resident Richard “Dickie” Phelps, who had been reported missing five days earlier.
Beaufort County Deputy Coroner Shane Bowers confirmed in a news release that a body was “pulled from the water,” and later confirmed the man’s identity. Phelps’ cause of death was pending autopsy as of 4 p.m. Tuesday.
The discovery of the body comes less than a week after Phelps was reported missing by family members on Friday after not returning home the previous night.
The disappearance of Phelps, who’s known as Daufuskie Island’s “national treasure,” prompted friends to organize search parties by foot and boat throughout the weekend. Search operations, though, were thwarted by windy weather conditions on Sunday, according to a social media post made by Joe Rowland, a friend of Phelps.
Phelps’ golf cart was found abandoned near a public boat dock, according to a social media post made by his son. Phelp’s dog, Chance — known by some as the “Mayor of Daufuskie Island” — was found in the same area.
One member of the search parties looking for the missing Daufuskie resident wrote on social media Tuesday morning that they believed the body found was Phelps’.
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Phelps’ death, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said in a Tuesday afternoon alert.
This story was originally published February 24, 2026 at 1:56 PM.
