A popular South Carolina river hangout erupted in a full-on donnybrook captured on video that just emerged showing nearly two dozen sun-soaked revelers in swimwear grappling and throwing punches.
Video from the June 6 incident at a popular sand bar on the Congaree River in Calhoun County, just southeast of Columbia, show multiple fights underway while a crowd watches.
“The water and drinking don’t mix,” Calhoun County Sheriff Thomas Summers told Columbia’s WIS News 10, confirming that alcohol was a factor in the melee.
Men in swim shorts, some of them appearing sunburned, can be seen throwing haymakers while others attempt to separate those involved.
It is not known what started the brawl.
The violent confrontation has led to six arrests so far, and the sheriff’s office continues to investigate.
Authorities told reporters that more than 20 people were involved in the fight and that at least three people suffered injuries ranging from swollen eyes to head injuries.
“The injuries were severe,” Sheriff Summers told WIS. “To see that many people swinging, fighting, it could have been really, really bad and I’m sure there are injuries that we haven’t heard about. That’s just the nature of that type of beast,” Summers said.
He added, “It could be a family setting. Obviously, this would not be a good place to take your children if you wanted to because of things like this.”
Six people were arrested and face charges ranging from assault to disturbing the peace.
The fight broke out during the annual Sparkleberry Duck Run, an event that reportedly draws boaters and outdoor enthusiasts to the Congaree River each year.
It’s not clear whether the combatants were part of that event or just hanging out on the sandbar in the bright early summer sun.
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of the Los Angeles crime novel Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
