By Shellie Murdaugh
The Island News
Six people were rescued Nov. 4 from a grounded 18-foot recreational vessel near Turtle Island Wildlife Management Area in Jasper County, according to a U.S. Coast Guard news release.
Turtle Island Wildlife Management Area is South Carolina’s southern-most barrier island that is located in the Hardeeville area of Jasper County. It is south of Daufuskie Island and north of the Savannah River and owned and managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).
The rescue was conducted by a U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Savannah MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew, officials said. The vessel had been grounded along the eastern edge of the public lands of the management area. A vessel becomes grounded when it runs on to a seabed or shoreline and is no longer floating freely in a body of water.
“The aircrew safely hoisted the six people and transported them to Hunter Army Airfield,” a U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson said. “No injuries were reported.”
The incident was initially reported by a family member of those onboard the stranded vessel to Sector Charleston watchstanders, stating there were six people aboard the boat.
A watchstander is an on-duty U.S. Coast Guard member who handles communications, monitors operations and ensures the station is always ready to respond to maritime incidents, such as the one at Turtle Island Wildlife Management Area.
At the time the vessel was grounded, the spokesperson said Sector Charleston watchstanders issued a safety marine information broadcast stating the stranded vessel was unlit and posed a potential navigational hazard.
The Coast Guard also coordinated with the owner of the grounded vessel concerning recovery and salvage of the vessel, the spokesperson said.
Shellie Murdaugh, who joined The Island News in October 2026, formerly worked as a reporter for The Jasper County Sun Times and Bluffton Today. She also worked for newspapers in Hampton and Colleton counties in South Carolina and in North Carolina at The Richmond County Daily Journal. She can be reached at shelliemurdaugh@gmail.com.