Virginia Diver Identified After Fatal Incident in South Carolina’s Cooper River

Authorities in South Carolina have identified the diver who lost his life during a dive in the Cooper River over the weekend. According to a report in The Post and Courier, the victim was Mark Beckler, a 55-year-old from Arlington, Virginia.

Beckler had traveled to South Carolina with three other divers to explore the river north of the Bushy Park Boat Landing on September 20. When he failed to resurface as expected, an emergency search was launched.

Multiple agencies, including the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Coast Guard, deployed boats, drones, and dive teams in the effort to locate him. The search concluded on September 22 when a passerby discovered Beckler’s body in the river. Strong currents had carried him nearly two miles from the site where he was last seen.

Beckler, described as an experienced diver, had been diving as part of a commercial charter. Local officials have confirmed that the cause and manner of his death remain under investigation, with an autopsy expected to be scheduled.