LAKE WYLIE, S.C. — Authorities have a major warning just days after a teenager died jumping from a dangerous bridge into Lake Wylie.
“We typically see people back there just about every weekend during the summer, whether it’s us or the sheriff’s office,” said Lance Cpl. Jeff Vissage with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
Vissage helps patrol Lake Wylie near Duke Energy’s Catawba Nuclear Station.
He told Channel 9′s Tina Terry that for years, young people have jumped from a private catwalk under Concord Road into the lake below, despite Duke Energy’s warnings to stay away.
Duke Energy owns the land around the bridge, but not the bridge itself. Even though the company has put up a fence and signs that say “no trespassing,” it hasn’t been enough to keep people out of the area.
“We do want teenagers to realize that is very dangerous, what they’re doing,” Vissage said.
The York County Sheriff’s Office says about 15 young people snuck under the fence two weeks ago and they were told to leave.
On Friday, 16-year-old Yanni Harvell jumped from the catwalk under the bridge into the lake and never came back up.
Vissage says the water in this area can be deep, but dangerous objects could be just below the surface.
“Sometimes water may appear deeper and you can jump in and become entangled in brush, or you can hit something and cause major injuries by hitting a rock, or some other type of object in the water that you can’t see,” Vissage said.
Campbell Martin has used his boat in the area for years, and he’s also seen people jump from the bridge.
“You can hit wrong and knock the breath out of you, you’ll panic, and not come back up,” Martin said. “People need to be careful.”
Officials with SCDNR and the York County Sheriff’s Office say they’re doing all they can to keep people out of the area, mainly by patrolling, but they can’t be there all the time.
The Department of Transportation owns the bridge itself, and it’s the agency responsible for adding more security to the bridge.
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