WATERLOO, S.C. (WSPA) — Jackie Webb will remember her brother, Patrick, as tall, warm, social and genuine.
Patrick, called “Slimm” by friends and family, drowned Monday at the Riverfork Boat Ramp located at 100 Summer Place on Lake Greenwood. Webb’s voice joins calls from the Department of Natural Resources in encouraging better safety practices near bodies of water.
“He taught himself how to swim,” Webb said. “Like in a swimming pool, that was good. But in that body of water, no, no, no.”
Webb was 30 and leaves behind two daughters.
DNR says on average, each year, multiple people drown because they are not swimming safely. Lance Corporal Chase Stewart reminds swimmers — no matter how strong they are — not to jump from bridges, cliffs or docks.
“Things happen to where the water level is not always consistent,” he said “There’s floating debris that’s floating in and out. You never know what’s under you, so be mindful of that.”
He also recommends packing flotation devices, noting that life jackets are appropriate all places near water and are not restricted to use in boats.
