State investigators said the vessel was overcrowded and moving at night before it struck a floating dock near Mount Pleasant’s Old Village.
MOUNT PLEASANT, SC — A Charleston County man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after a late April boat crash near Shem Creek killed a 19-year-old Citadel cadet and injured six others, state officials said.
Edward Marion Tavel III, 21, is accused of operating the boat that struck a dock off King Street in Mount Pleasant’s Old Village on April 25. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is leading the investigation, and the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office is prosecuting the case. The charge moves the case from a fatal boating investigation into a criminal proceeding.
Investigators said the boat left the Shem Creek area at night with seven people on board, though the vessel was rated for a maximum of four. Evan Andrew Greenleigh, 19, of Bethesda, Maryland, died from blunt force injuries after the crash. Greenleigh was a Citadel cadet, a member of Echo Company and a tennis player at the military college. The six other people on board, including Tavel, were taken to a hospital for treatment. The Citadel President Gen. Glenn M. Walters said after Greenleigh’s death that he was “an exceptional classmate and teammate.”
The crash happened after the group had spent time on the water and at waterfront businesses, according to investigative records described by local officials and reports. The boat involved was identified as a 1994 Key West motorboat. Investigators said five passengers, including Greenleigh, were seated near the front of the vessel, blocking the operator’s view. The boat was traveling about 25 to 30 mph, with one report placing the speed at 29 mph, when it failed to clear a floating dock near Hog Island. The documents list alcohol use, careless or reckless operation and failure to keep a proper lookout as contributing factors. A blood draw taken after the crash found no alcohol in Tavel’s system, though witnesses told investigators the group had been drinking earlier in the day. Tavel told investigators he had consumed three beers over the course of the day.
Emergency calls released after the crash described a chaotic scene along the water near King Street. One caller said he heard the impact and then heard people calling for help. Another caller, apparently on the boat, told dispatchers that the group had hit a pole while driving. A dock owner who came to the scene described Greenleigh as unresponsive and said she was trying to help before emergency crews arrived. Mount Pleasant police records said officers responded just after 11 p.m. and found several people with visible injuries and blood on their clothing. EMS tried to save Greenleigh, but he was pronounced dead that night. Records also described injuries to others on the boat, including head wounds, concussions, lacerations, whiplash, a chipped tooth and back or neck pain.
The case has drawn close attention in the Charleston area because Shem Creek and nearby waterways are among the region’s busiest recreation corridors. Boats move through narrow channels near docks, restaurants, homes and marinas, especially on weekends. The April 25 crash happened near the Old Village, a residential area where private docks extend into the waterway. Investigators said the vessel had too many people aboard and that passengers at the bow blocked the operator’s line of sight. The records also said the boat’s registration was expired at the time of the crash. State documents described earlier watercraft-related violations involving Tavel, including citations before the fatal collision.
Tavel was granted a $50,000 personal recognizance bond after an initial court appearance, according to court records. He was released from custody while the case proceeds. Records show he is scheduled for an initial court appearance in July, with another court date listed later in the year. An involuntary manslaughter charge in South Carolina requires prosecutors to prove that a death resulted from criminal negligence or unlawful conduct. No trial date has been announced. The investigation remains open, and officials have not said whether additional charges could be filed.
Greenleigh’s death has also left a mark at The Citadel, where he was part of the Corps of Cadets Class of 2029. His obituary said he was a mechanical engineering major, a recruited Division I tennis player and a student who earned top academic honors during his knob year. Family members described him as driven, kind and close to his parents and sister. The crash occurred near the end of his first year at the Charleston military college. In the weeks after his death, tributes from the school community focused on his role as a teammate, cadet and friend. The public records released since then have added a clearer picture of the final hours before the crash, but they have not answered every question about the exact moments before impact.
SCDNR said the case remains under investigation as prosecutors prepare for Tavel’s next court appearance. The next public milestone is expected in July, when the criminal case is scheduled to return to court.
Author note: Last updated June 5, 2026.