Father charged in deadly jetski crash that killed 11-year-old

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – A Myrtle Beach man is facing charges in connection to a deadly jetski crash that killed his 11-year-old son.

An incident report obtained by WMBF News states the child was operating the jetski with his father, Raymond Hillman, when it sped close to the water’s edge on the Intracoastal Waterway before colliding with a tree on July 17.

Both Hillman and his child were thrown overboard and landed in the water facedown and unresponsive. They were then taken to the hospital, where the boy later died.

Arrest warrants also state Hillman was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division later discovered Hillman had a blood-alcohol content of .094 when a blood sample was taken.

Hillman was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child and knowingly allowing a person under 16 to operate a watercraft.

Online records show he was booked at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on August 24 before being released the same day on a $25,000 bond.

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