Crabber finds body in Ashley River
Identity, cause of death unknown
Staff report (Thursday, April 22, 2004)
Charleston County authorities are investigating the death of an unidentified man whose body was found Wednesday along a bank of the Ashley River in North Charleston.
A crabber spotted the body about 1:50 p.m. along a mud flat in a marshy area behind the old Baker Hospital complex, a short distance from the World War II Memorial Bridge.
Sheriff's deputies and police from Charleston and North Charleston went to the area, but the marsh prevented officers from reaching the body by land. Charleston County Rescue Squad members brought in an air boat and helped authorities remove the body shortly before 3:30 p.m.
Investigators don't know who the man was or how he died, said Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Jack Scarborough. He was black, but his approximate age has not been determined, he said. The body did not appear to have been in the area for long, Scarborough said.
Authorities have not determined whether foul play was involved, said sheriff's Capt. Dana Valentine. An autopsy is scheduled for today, she said.
"We'll have to wait for the coroner," she said. "We should know more (Thursday)."
Authorities said they had not determined if there had been reports of missing boaters in the area.
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