Latest news with #ColletonCountySheriff'sOffice
Fox News
2 days ago
- Fox News
Tourists make 'historically significant' discovery while exploring South Carolina beach
Tourists exploring a South Carolina island recently stumbled across "historically significant" remains, according to local officials. The Colleton County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) announced the discovery in a May 24 press release. The remains were found the day before near the Jeremy Cay gated community, about half a mile from shore. Edisto Island, south of Charleston, is one of several Sea Islands in the Palmetto State. It's been inhabited by Europeans since the 17th century. Tourists were wandering through the area on May 23 when they uncovered "what they initially believed to be fossils," according to officials. "Upon closer examination, they realized the remains appeared to be human and promptly contacted the Colleton County Sheriff's Office and the Edisto Beach Police Department," authorities said. When officers arrived, they secured the area and handled the incident like a crime scene – but the circumstances of the remains weren't exactly suspicious. Rather, authorities said that the beachgoers found a "historically significant" site that likely served as a burial ground. "The location of the discovery [was] once home to the 19th-century settlement known as Edingsville Beach," police said. "Early indications suggest the remains may originate from a long-forgotten burial site." The Colleton County Coroner's Office arrived to recover the remains, which were then taken to the Medical University of South Carolina, where they are still being identified and studied. "At this time, the identity of the individual and the circumstances surrounding their death remain unknown," the CCSO noted. "This is an active investigation, and the CCSO is working closely with the Coroner's Office and other partner agencies to determine more about the remains and their origin." Edisto Island's tourism site says that Edingsville Beach was a popular seaside destination for wealthy Charleston residents before the Civil War began. After many of the residences were abandoned by planters who went bankrupt during the war, African American sharecroppers and farmers came into ownership of the buildings. The recently discovered remains are some of the last traces of the once-thriving community. By the late 19th century, many of the buildings were swept into the ocean due to hurricanes – and the recently discovered remains are some of the last traces of the once-thriving community. Fox News Digital reached out to CCSO for additional information, but no new details were available. As one of the original Thirteen Colonies, South Carolina is home to many historic sites. Earlier this year, a group of veterans gathered in Kershaw County to excavate a Revolutionary War battlefield. Two years earlier, the remains of multiple Revolutionary War soldiers were found at the same Kershaw County site.
USA Today
6 days ago
- USA Today
South Carolina tourists find remains that may be linked to 'forgotten' burial site
South Carolina tourists find remains that may be linked to 'forgotten' burial site Show Caption Hide Caption Danish archaeologists uncover 50 Viking-era skeletons The excavation of a large Viking-era burial site in Denmark has unearthed 50 well-preserved skeletons, along with grave gifts. Tourists exploring an island off the South Carolina coast accidentally uncovered human skeletal remains that authorities believe may be linked to a forgotten, centuries-old burial site. The tourists were in Jeremy Cay — a private, beachfront community located on Edisto Island about 45 miles southwest of Charleston — on May 23 when they discovered what they initially believed to be fossils, according to the Colleton County Sheriff's Office. But after realizing the remains appeared to be human, the tourists immediately contacted the sheriff's office and the Edisto Beach Police Department, the sheriff's office said. Authorities then responded to the scene and secured the area. The Colleton County Coroner's Office also assisted in the investigation and recovery of the remains, which were later transported to the Medical University of South Carolina for forensic analysis and identification, according to the sheriff's office. "The location of the discovery is historically significant, once home to the 19th-century settlement known as Edingsville Beach," the sheriff's office said in a news release. "Early indications suggest the remains may originate from a long forgotten burial site." The sheriff's office noted that the identity of the remains and the circumstances surrounding their death are currently unknown. The investigation remains ongoing, and the sheriff's office said it's working with the county coroner's office and other partner agencies to learn more about the remains and their origin. Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey told Newsweek on May 25 that the remains consisted of a skull and separated bones. Harvey noted that the discovery was "rare" and that the remains could be from the Revolutionary War or Civil War, according to Newsweek. A family went missing in Alaska in 2024. A boat and human remains were just found. What is Edingsville Beach? The Jeremy Cay community is near the site of Edingsville Beach, a former vacation destination that was popular among wealthy Southern families in the early 19th century, according to an article on the town of Edisto Island's website. "It was initially established for wealthy Charleston families as a seasonal refuge to escape the humidity and heat in the Lowcountry," the article states. "For a few decades, Edingsville Beach was the place for the elite to be seen." In 1825, the community was made up of 60 tabby and brick houses with verandas facing the ocean, according to the article. Edingsville Beach also had several churches, service buildings, boathouses, fishing shacks, a billiard saloon, and a schoolhouse. The settlement began to disappear over the decades due to coastal erosion and the effects of the Civil War, the article adds. "Visitors started to notice the shifting sands and ever-lapping tides took a toll on the beach," according to the article. "In addition, the Atlantic surf had managed to scoop up about 20 of the homes before the Civil War began." Patricia Wu-Murad case: A Connecticut woman went missing 2 years ago on hike in Japan. Her remains have been found The community was uninhabited during the Civil War and mostly abandoned after the war ended in 1865, the article states. Edisto Island was hit by a hurricane in 1885, which leveled most of the remaining structures in the settlement. By 1893, another hurricane destroyed the last of the structures in Edingsville Beach, according to the article. Now, only a narrow strip of beach serves as a reminder of the historic community. Bones and remains have previously been found on the island, the article states. In 2015, a tourist from Pennsylvania visiting the north end of Edisto Island found several bones. Shortly after, a former Edisto Beach State Park ranger discovered a skull with some teeth attached. Paleontologists later determined that both sets of remains dated back to 1865 and 1870, according to the article. One of the sets was identified as a cow skeleton.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tourists find skeletal remains that may be linked to 1800s burial site
Tourists in South Carolina made a gruesome discovery while exploring an island off the state's coast last week, officials said. The tourists were in Jeremy Cay, a beachfront part of Edisto Island, when they found what they at first believed to be fossils — only to realize they had discovered human remains, officials said in a news release. The tourists, who have not been identified, then called the Colleton County Sheriff's Office and the Edisto Beach Police Department. Officials secured the scene, then launched an investigation. Early indications from the investigation "suggest the remains may originate from a long forgotten burial site," the Colleton County Sheriff's Office said. The remains were found in an area that had once been known as Edingsville Beach, the sheriff's office said. During the 19th century, Edingsville Beach was a settlement of about 60 homes, according to the Edisto Island website. The area was a popular vacation destination for wealthy Southern families, with homes overlooking the sea and a nearby marsh. There were also several churches, a schoolhouse and other communal buildings. But over the decades, weather and erosion took their toll, and by the time the Civil War began in 1861, the settlement and the rest of the island were mostly uninhabited. In 1885, a massive storm destroyed most of the homes there. The remaining structures were demolished when another hurricane hit the area in 1893. The newly-found remains were recovered by the Colleton County Coroner's Office. They have been transported to the Medical University of South Carolina for forensic analysis and identification. The sheriff's office said it is working with the coroner's office and other agencies to "determine more about the remains and their origin." Colleton County coroner Rich Harvey told Newsweek that the remains included a skull and several separated bones. They might date back to the Revolutionary or Civil War, he said. Bones have previously been found on the island, officials said. In 2015, a Pennsylvania tourist found several bones near the northern part of the island. Shortly afterwards, a former ranger visiting the island found a skull with some teeth still attached. That skull was dated to between 1865 and 1870, officials said. Broken tools, china and building materials from the settlement's heyday have also been known to wash up in Jeremy Cay, according to an essay shared by the Jeremy Cay Homeowner's Association. Last week, skeletal remains found on New Jersey beaches were identified as those of a 19th-century schooner captain. SpaceX loses contact with its Starship, spins out of control Brooklyn shop celebrates Mexican culture by supporting local artisans Original "Hamilton" cast to reunite at Tony Awards as show marks 10th anniversary
New York Post
29-05-2025
- New York Post
Tourists make chilling discovery on South Carolina beach that may be linked to centuries-old burial site
A casual stroll on a South Carolina island took a chilling turn when a group of tourists uncovered what they believed were fossils – only to discover they had unearthed centuries-old human remains. The haunting discovery was made Friday on Edisto Island – a historic site that was once home to the 19th-century settlement of Edingsville Beach, according to the Colleton County Sheriff's Office. 'Early indications suggest the remains may originate from a long forgotten burial site,' officials said. Tourists found the human remains Friday on Edisto Island. Alisha – The remains – which include a skull and a scattering of separated bones – were collected from the beach destination and will now undergo forensic analysis to determine their origin and age, county coroner Rich Harvey told Newsweek. 'The remains are going to be taken to a forensic anthropologist,' Harvey said, adding that it's unclear how long it will take to unlock the mystery behind the bones. Remains were previously discovered on the island — which was once home to convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh — in 2015 when a tourist spotted bones protruding from the mud. Not long after, a former park ranger uncovered a skull with teeth still intact, according to the Edisto Island website. Scientists determined the bones — one of them a cow skeleton — dated back to 1865 and 1870. The ancient settlement was established in 1825 and once served as a fashionable summer retreat for Charleston's elite. It was made up of 60 tabby and brick homes with ocean-facing verandas, churches, a school, boathouses and a billiard saloon. The remains were reportedly collected from the beach and will now undergo forensic analysis. Laura – The settlement's existence was short-lived, as coastal erosion and the disruptions of the Civil War took their toll, the website stated. The final blow came when two catastrophic hurricanes — in 1885 and 1893 — destroyed what little remained of the once-bustling community.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tourists find human skeletal remains on South Carolina island
*Attached video: Swimming safety COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WJW) – Tourists visiting a South Carolina island came across what they believed to be fossils, before realizing they were skeletal remains and alerting authorities. According to a press release from the Colleton County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a report of discovered human skeletal remains on Edisto Island, South Carolina, on Friday. 'A bright light': Teen who died after fall from Memorial Day parade float in Green remembered as 'loyal and funny' Deputies were dispatched to a beachfront property in the Jeremy Cay community near Legare Road. Tourists at the scene were exploring the area when they uncovered the remains, the release said. That is when the CCSO was contacted, as well as the Edisto Beach Police Department. According to the release, the location where the skeletal remains were found is historically significant. That area was once home to the 19th-century settlement known as Edingsville Beach. 'Early indications suggest the remains may originate from a long-forgotten burial site,' the release said. Man killed in Geneva plane crash Sunday identified The remains were eventually taken to the Medical University of South Carolina for forensic analysis and identification. The identity of the person and the circumstances surrounding their death still remain unknown at this time, the release said. This is an active investigation. The CCSO said it is working closely with the Colleton County Coroner's Office and other partner agencies to learn more about the remains. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
