A 38-year-old York man died Saturday afternoon following a drowning incident in the Broad River near Blacksburg, according to Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler.
The victim was identified as John Daniel Ratcliffe of York.
Emergency crews were dispatched to the area of the Broad River near the Duke Energy hydroelectric dam off Ninety-Nine Island Road after a friend discovered Ratcliffe face down in approximately three feet of water.
First responders attempted life-saving measures and CPR at the scene, but efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. Ratcliffe was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to statements provided to authorities by friends at the location, Ratcliffe did not know how to swim.
The incident remains under investigation by the Cherokee County Coroner’s Office alongside local law enforcement agencies.
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