Columbia 22-year-old identified as man found in Lake Murray after going missing
The body found in a search for a missing man at Lake Murray was identified Tuesday by the Newberry County Coroner’s Office as the camper last seen by friends.
Carlos Alexis Baca Aguilar, who was reported missing Sunday morning, was the man whose body was found near Dreher Island State Park, Coroner Laura Kneece said in a news release.
The 22-year-old Columbia man’s body was found Monday in the water near the campsite, the sheriff’s office said on Facebook.
Aguilar and his friends entered a closed portion of the park and set up tents to camp at the site, according to the Facebook post. Dreher Island State Park is about 30 miles from Columbia.
He was last seen at 3 a.m. Sunday, the sheriff’s office said. After being contacted by Aguilar’s friends, park rangers reported him missing to the sheriff’s office at about 9:30 a.m., according to the post.
Aguilar left with his keys and wallet, but left his cellphone behind, it said in the post.
The body was recovered at about 3 p.m., just off the shore from the campsite by the Newberry County Water Rescue and Dive Team, the sheriff’s office said. Divers found the body where the water is about nine feet deep, according to the post.
An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday to determine his cause of death, Kneece said.
Along with Newberry County Emergency Services, the sheriff’s office said the search for Aguilar included its deputies, park rangers, members of the South Carolina State Guard Search and Rescue team, and the Department of Natural Resources.
They searched Sunday and through the night, using sonar in the water near the campsite and an aerial search was done by a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) helicopter, according to the post.
It is not an easy area to search, as Dreher Island State Park covers 348 acres, including 12 miles of shoreline on Lake Murray, which encompasses 50,000 acres, according to South Carolina State Parks.
“We are very blessed to have people willing to give of their time to help people in need, especially in today’s inclement weather,” Sheriff Lee Foster said in the post.
Aguilar’s death remains under investigation by the sheriff’s office and the coroner’s office.
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This story was originally published February 25, 2020 at 2:43 PM with the headline "Columbia 22-year-old identified as man found in Lake Murray after going missing."
