Mother’s body recovered after she went missing while tubing in lake
LAURENS COUNTY, S.C. (WHNS/Gray News) - Officials confirmed the body of a 30-year-old woman who went missing while tubing in a South Carolina lake has been recovered.
The coroner’s office says the body is that of missing Staff Sgt. Porsha Griffin, a 30-year-old member of the South Carolina National Guard, WHNS reports. She was tubing behind a boat May 25 on Lake Greenwood when she fell into the water. Officials say she was not wearing a life jacket and did not resurface.
Search and rescue teams spent more than a week looking for the missing woman. Divers, planes, sonar and more were deployed, and witnesses were called back to the lake multiple times to describe the incident.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources released the following statement Monday evening:
“Our officers have recovered the body of a missing woman at Lake Greenwood in Laurens County. The woman went missing after a tubing incident May 25. We extend our gratitude to all of the officers, investigators and divers involved, as well as the supportive Greenwood community and everyone who offered additional help. Our heartfelt condolences remain with the victim’s family and loved ones.”
Porsha Griffin’s family has been notified that her body was found.
During the search, her mother, Amicka Griffin, spoke to WHNS, saying she was “hysterically shocked” when she first received the phone call that her daughter had gone missing in the lake.
Porscha Griffin was her oldest child and a recent nursing school graduate. As a member of the state National Guard, she was assigned to the 116th Tactical Installation Networking Enhanced Company, 228th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade in Spartanburg.
She was also the mother of a 9-year-old daughter.
At the time she spoke to WHNS, Amicka Griffin said she was coming to terms with the fact her daughter may not return.
“I’ve accepted it because God has me. He has me covered. I am not going to question his power,” she said. “She was a loving daughter, a loving mother. She was a dependable and supportive person.”
During the search, Maj Gen. Jeff Jones, the deputy adjutant for the state National Guard, and other military members went out to the lake to show support for Porscha Griffin’s family.
“She really dedicated her life serving others, and we’re so appreciative of everything she does for the state,” Jones said.
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