On a crisp December morning in the wooded expanse near Walterboro, South Carolina, a day of hunting among friends turned into a scene of tragedy. It was on this day, December 31, 2013, that William Heape Sr., a 67-year-old male, lost his life in what was determined to be a hunting accident. An avid outdoorsman, he was in a familiar element, yet the day ended in an unforeseen and fatal incident.
The group was hunting deer in a wooded area off Mount Carmel Road when another hunter in the
party accidentally discharged his weapon, striking Heape. The remote location of the incident, about a half-mile down a dirt road and another half-mile walk into the woods, presented challenges for the emergency responders from Colleton County Fire-Rescue and the Colleton County Sheriff's Office who were dispatched to the scene at approximately 12:30 p.m.
Upon their arrival, they found Heape with a fatal gunshot wound. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources conducted an investigation into the shooting. Their findings concluded that the shooting was accidental. As a result of this determination, no arrests were made, and no charges were filed against the individual who fired the shot. The incident was officially classified as a tragic accident, leaving friends, family, and the local community to mourn the unexpected loss of a man who was deeply connected to the outdoors and his loved ones.
