HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — The half million dollars awarded in May to Jacob Williams’ family is worthless compared to the anguish and sorrow they’re living with nearly two years after he was thrown from a jon boat and died in the Intracoastal Waterway.
But, family attorney Kenneth Berger told News13, it’s the first painful step toward accountability — the most valuable thing they could ask for.
“This family, in their devastation, they didn’t want Jacob’s life to have been lost in vain,” Berger said. “There don’t need to be more Williams families grieving because of a completely preventable tragedy.”
Wiliams died after being thrown from a vessel after it struck an Intracoastal Waterway dock near Burcale Road the night of June 18, 2023. Police said the driver, Matthew Brown, was intoxicated at the time.
Williams’ family in August sued Brown on grounds of negligence and wrongful death. Their complaint said Brown was “negligent, willful, reckless, grossly negligent” in that he operated a boat too fast for conditions and failed to maintain a proper lookout.
Brown was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on July 5 after the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources charged him with felony boating under the influence and obstructing justice, online jail records show.
The sides on May 14 settled for $505,000.
Berger said state law prevented any more money from being awarded to Williams’ family.
“In South Carolina, you’re stuck with however much insurance coverage is on the boat that causes the crash. And in this case, the death. And an additional tragedy was the insurance policy was written such that there was no underinsured boating coverage. We were capped out,” he said. “There wasn’t a dollar more we can get beyond the $505,000, which is pretty sickening.”
According to U.S. Coast Guard statistics, Williams was among six South Carolinians who died in a recreational boating-related accident in 2023. Nationwide, 97 people were killed.
And overall, alcohol use contributed to 200 injuries tied to recreational boating, the U.S. Coast Guard reported.
“We don’t accept or tolerate drunk driving. But for whatever reason as a society, a lot of people are still kind of OK with the idea that people are going to be out there drinking beers, drinking liquor, operating a boat,” Berger said. “We need to do more through law enforcement agencies, but also as communities, to make that less frequent, less dangerous for innocent people like Jacob Williams.”
Boat U.S. Foundation, a leading advocacy organization, says being drunk on the water introduces even more risk factors.
“The alcohol that makes you lose your balance also reduces your body’s ability to protect you against the cold water. With alcohol in your blood, the numbing effects of cold water occur much faster than when you are sober. Within minutes, you may not be able to call for help, swim to a float or reach the safety of the boat,” the organization warns.
Berger said local and state police departments should be given more resources to help battle intoxicated boating, but urged community members to remember Williams’ legacy when they’re pushing into the water.
“It’s the worst call you can get. Some people might look and say, ‘well you know, this young man was 22 years old at the time, he was an adult,’” Berger said. “But for parents, it’s still their baby boy.”
Brown’s criminal case is still pending.
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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
Savannah Denton joined News 13 in July 2023 as a reporter and producer. Savannah is from Atlanta, Georgia, and is a graduate of the University of Alabama. Follow Savannah on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of her work here.
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