BEAUFORT, S.C. (AP) - The charter company that sponsored the diving expedition in Beaufort that claimed the life of a Tennessee man does not have a current business license in the county.
The Island Packet reports (https://bit.ly/1Ypt0hl) that Jason Owen, owner of Sea Island Divers, took four men on a diving expedition Saturday in search of shark teeth in the Broad River. During the dive, 57-year-old Brian Owens died in what an autopsy showed was an accidental drowning.
Sea Island Divers doesn’t have a current business license in Beaufort, either with the city or county, nor does it have a license in Bluffton, Hilton Head Island or Port Royal.
Furthermore, none of the men on the dive had a hobby diver license.
The United State Coast Guard is also investigating the charter’s credentials.
The Island Packet couldn’t reach Owen for comment.
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Information from: The Island Packet, https://www.islandpacket.com
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