Tucker Hipps found in shallow water Monday
The body of Clemson student Tucker W. Hipps, 19, was pulled out of four to five feet of water Monday at 5:15 p.m., the Associated Press reported.
Hipps’ body was found about nine feet from the nearest shoreline in Hartwell Lake, and was first discovered at 3 p.m. Campus police received notification that he was missing Monday afternoon.
Hipps, a resident of Piedmont, South Carolina, was a former high school football player, and graduated from Wren High School in 2013. He was also a Principal’s List student at the high school and a senior counselor at Palmetto Boys State in 2014.
“I miss you more than anything,” Hipps’ girlfriend, Katie Clouse, posted with a picture on Instagram and Twitter. “I’ll always love you tuck and I know you’ll always love me too.”
The recovery of the body was joint effort between the Clemson Police Department, Oconee County Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The Oconee County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the death.
The body was found in the lake between two bridges on Pendleton Road, in the area of the YMCA beach.
Hipps’ body is scheduled for an autopsy on Tuesday morning, and the cause of death will likely be released Tuesday afternoon.