Man drowns after attempting to see pelicans
A 50-year-old man walked through the waters off of Harbor Island to a nearby sandbar with his wife and two children. The four, hoping to see pelicans, waded through water up to their necks to reach the sandbar.
When the family was ready to return to the island, the current had gained strength. When the man, Matthew Auten, was struggling to carry his son on his back, the family decided to return to the sandbar.
After reaching the pelicans’ resting place one again, Auten’s wife saw his body floating face-down.
A resident from Harbor Isalnd noticed three people stranded on the sandbar four hours later, and the fire departments of Lady’s Island and Fripp Island were able to rescue the remaining three, who were not injured.
Ed Allen, coroner of Beaufort County, categorized the death as an accidental drowning.
Carowinds to build fastest, tallest giga coaster
Carowinds is planning to build “Fury 325,” the fastest and tallest “giga coaster” in the world, for spring 2015, WIS reported.
Giga coasters are designed for height and speed and are characterized by their complete circuit and lack of inverted hills. This new coaster will be included in the park’s investment of $50 million, according to WIS.
“Starting with Fury 325, we plan to make Carowinds a destination for thrill seekers to celebrate the Carolinas,” Vice President and General Manager of Carowinds Mike Fehnel said. “The new ride will build on the heritage of the park, creating new memories and traditions for our loyal fans and future guests from around the world.”
The new giga coaster will have 6,602 feet of track and will last just under three minutes and 30 seconds. Three open-air trains of 32 passengers each will be able to reach speeds of up to 95 miles an hour through curves, abrupt transitions and hills at a time. The first hill is 325 feet, or 30 stories, tall, and riders will descend at an angle of 81 degrees.
Clemson uses drone to record football team
Clemson is now one of several college football programs to use drones to record practices, The State reported.
“It’s awesome,” quarterback Cole Stoudt told The State. “It’s probably the one thing we watch the most … It’s made us better players.”
According to an interview with The State, head coach Dabo Swinney said the recordings have been helpful for his teaching his players, since it gives him a bird’s eye view of the field.
“We didn’t know what the video was going to be like, but it’s incredible,” Swinney said. “We can take a Nerf football into the meeting room, identify coverage and have them throw the ball at the screen.”
Because drones can hover ten to 15 feet above the field for up to 25 minutes, players and coaches can review more of the game.
Player development assistant for the defense Rhett Brooks operates the toaster oven-size aircraft, which runs on rechargable battery packs.