Piedmont firefighters assisted Anderson Technical Rescue, Medshore, Anderson and Greenville sheriff’s office, Greenville County CERT team with search and recovery of a wanted suspect Monday in the Saluda River in Piedmont. (Photo by David Rogers)
Anderson County and Greenville County Dive Teams and Technical Rescue recovered a wanted suspect’s body from the Saluda River after he fled on foot, jumping into the water on Monday.
According to reports, as the Fugitive Investigations Unit attempted to stop the suspect, he failed to put his Ford in “Park,” and it went into another Bronco. No one injured. The suspect then fled on foot, jumping into the river.
Deputies spotted the suspect swimming halfway across the river when he went under.
Technical Rescue began diving and first responders recovered the suspect’s body around noon.
The suspect was wanted for active bench warrants.
The Anderson County Coroner’s office identified the drowning victim as Cody Alexander Coleman, 33 of Piedmont.
According to reports, the preliminary investigation showed that the Coleman was being pursued by Anderson County Sheriff’s Deputies on River Road in Piedmont on Monday morning at around 10:58 am, when he ran a stop sign and collided with a Ford Bronco.
After the collision, Coleman fled from the vehicle on foot and jumped into the Saluda River, where he swam about 200 yards, went under water and never resurfaced. Divers recovered his body a little after 12:00pm. The manner of death has been ruled accidental.
Anderson County EMS, Medshore EMS, Greenville Fire Department, Greenville County Sheriff’s
Office, South Carolina Highway Patrol and Anderson County Office of the Coroner responded to
the scene.
The incident remains under investigation by the Anderson County Office of the Coroner and the
Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.
