An American Boater Rescued A Drowning Man & Then Shot Him But He Won't Face Any Charges

A South Carolina boater will not face charges after fatally shooting a man he had just saved from drowning, local officials have confirmed.

The boater is believed to have shot the man out of self-defence, therefore relieving him of charges, prosecutors say.

The incident took place last week when an American couple who were on boating on Lake Keowee, South Carolina, witnessed a man and a woman drowning after falling off their jet ski.

According to a press release from the sheriff's office, the duo were "in distress in the water" and neither of them were wearing a life jacket.

The couple, who were on a nearby pontoon boat, saw the man and woman struggling and drove their boat over to rescue the duo from drowning.

They helped the two onto their watercraft, which is when things took a turn for the worse.

The man who had been rescued from drowning "became agitated and began assaulting the couple on the pontoon," police say.

It seems that the man, 29-year-old Nathan Drew Morgan, wanted to retrieve the jet ski, which was still running and making circles in the water.

"The female, who was on the Jet Ski, attempted to deescalate the assault by pushing the man, who had been on the Jet Ski, back in the water," reads the sheriff's report.

The three on the boat then helped Morgan get back onto the pontoon for the second time.

Once he was back on the boat, he allegedly continued to assault the other couple, and eventually, the man shot Morgan out of fear that he or his wife would be assaulted.

The 29-year-old later died on the pontoon boat.

In a second press release shared by the Oconee County Sheriff's office, officials confirmed that the shooting was being treated as a self-defence case.

The decision was made based on the evidence and information of the case provided by investigators.

"All parties have been notified of the decision not to file charges in the case," confirmed the sheriff's office.