Father, 9-year-old daughter killed in South Carolina deer hunting accident

WALTERBORO, S.C. — A South Carolina man and his 9-year-old daughter were mistaken for deer during a New Year's Day hunting trip and accidentally shot to death by another hunter, authorities said.

Kim Drawdy, 30, and daughter Lauren were fatally shot about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in Colleton County near Walterboro as four hunters tried to move deer, the state Department of Natural Resources said.

They died at the scene, Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey told The Post and Courier.

The Department of Natural Resources is investigating. More information, such as whether the two were wearing blaze orange safety gear, will not be provided until the investigation is complete, department spokesman David Lucas said.

South Carolina has a few hunting accidents each year, Lucas said. There have been several recently near the end of deer season Wednesday.

In 2019, the state had 16 hunting accidents, Lucas said. Eleven of those involved firearms, causing two deaths. The other five involved tree stand accidents, such as falls, which led to one death.

“It’s not a thing that happens a lot,” Lucas said. “Hunting accidents are rare in general, and fatalities even more so.”