Lake Keowee Drowning Victim identified

The victim of Wednesday’s drowning on Lake Keowee at Fall Creek Landing near Salem has been identified. Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis announces that 21-year-old Vikash K. Patel of Greenville died from drowning. This incident occurred at approximately 4:45pm and his body was recovered a short time later. Despite resuscitation efforts, Patel was pronounced dead at 5:35pm. Friends of Patel said that he was attempting to wade across the channel to the popular island known as “The Rock” when he stepped off the sandbar into deeper water. He could not swim and panicked. Despite rescue efforts by his friends, he disappeared beneath the water surface. Addis says that his body was recovered in a water depth of approximately 19 feet. His manner of death is classified as accidental. Addis said, “The Fall Creek area of Lake Keowee is a popular destination in Oconee County. In 25 years serving as Coroner, there have been 17 deaths in this area of the lake within the jurisdiction of Oconee County, a number of them occurring when individuals attempt to cross by swimming or wading the channel over to the island. The distance across the channel is further than it appears from the mainland and the water is deep on either side of the sandbar that crosses this channel. This office recommends the use of a personal flotation device by all when crossing this channel, especially if you have limited or no swimming capabilities.”