NEWBERRY, S.C. — Newberry County Coroner Laura Kneece has confirmed the identity of the body found Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, at Lake Murray.
Kneece said the victim is Carlos Alexis Baca Aguilar, 22, of Columbia.
According to police reports, Aguilar, 22, and several of his friends had entered a closed portion of Dreher Island State Park, located outside of Prosperity, SC, on Lake Murray, and set up a tent in a primitive camping site around 3 a.m. Sunday. His friends reported him missing a little later.
Park Rangers contacted the Newberry County Sheriff's Office and Emergency Services around 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Newberry County Emergency Services, Sheriff's Office, State Park Rangers, and State agencies conducted an extensive search of the area -- including sonar searches done in the waters adjoining the campsite and an aerial search done by a SLED helicopter.
An autopsy is scheduled for February 26 in order to determine Aguilar’s cause of death.
This incident remains under investigation of the Newberry County Coroner’s Office and Newberry County Sheriff’s Department.
