Ohio vacationer dies near Hilton Head in island’s first drowning of the year. What we know

A 66-year-old vacationer drowned on Hilton Head Friday morning, marking the first drowning death off the coast of Hilton Head Island this year.

Ralph Jamieson of South Euclid, Ohio, was swimming with his family when he suddenly began calling for help. After pulling Jamieson out of the water, those with him began performing CPR, with lifeguards and Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue arriving shortly after, Coroner David Ott said. But Jamieson was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:10 a.m.

The drowning happened north of Sea Crest on North Forest Beach near beach marker 62. The area was not crowded at the time of the drowning according to Shore Beach Services’ operations manager Mike Wagner.

Shore Beach Services, who provide the island’s lifeguard service, didn’t have a lifeguard stationed in the area but the area was being patrolled, said Wagner. They never station lifeguards and instead patrol with vehicles in there, because it’s a less densely populated area of the beach. That area is mostly houses as opposed to hotels and condos, he added.

Wagner was unable to provide any details about how far offshore Jamieson was or if he was caught in a rip current.

An autopsy for Jamieson is scheduled for Monday, Ott said.

Drownings are relatively rare on Hilton Head. Last year, an outlier, saw two drownings in September. First, 42-year-old Jonathan King, who was visiting with his wife for a day trip from Rincon, Georgia, drowned after being caught in a rip current on Sept. 3. Later in the month, 64-year-old David Stewart Owens of Huntington, Pennsylvania drowned about 50 yards off the shore near Hilton Head’s Marriott Resort

Before then, the last drowning was in 2017 when 61-year-old islander Andrew Harper drowned off the coast of a Sea Pines beach. Witnesses said a rip current may have caused the drowning.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.