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Since May 16, 2020, the family of 19-year-old Jaden Phillips has been in search of answers. They’ve been looking for the truth about what happened to their beloved son in the moments leading up to his tragic death.
At 7:57 p.m. EDT on that fateful evening, a bystander at Bates Bridge landing along South Carolina’s Congaree River called 911 to report an “incident.” The bystander was only able to report what he saw at this wooded, riverside access located approximately 26 miles southeast of the state capital of Columbia, S.C.
“There’s a boy pouring blood from his head,” the caller noted.
Since that day, Jaden’s parents have been unable to get clear answers about what happened to their son – and why no one has been held responsible for his death.
The more they pushed for answers, the more they realized how many things went wrong with the investigation. This tragic realization has compelled them to try and change the laws governing how boating accidents are handled and investigated. Jaden’s Law (H.3602) – sponsored by state representative Jermaine Johnson – was pre-filed on December 12, 2024.
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THE DAY ON THE RIVER
Jaden and Shayne Phillips spent the day on the Congaree River to celebrate Jaden’s birthday. They took off from the Bates Bridge landing — located just south of the Congaree National Park on the border of Richland and Calhoun counties – around noon on that fateful Saturday. They met up with friends, and the group packed up their boats with camping gear and began the 30-minute trek upriver to the campsite. After everything was set up, half the group headed back downriver in their boats to the “sandbar” – an area where boaters frequently gathered to party.
According to incident reports from the Richland County sheriff’s department, Jaden spent the afternoon with 30-year-old Irvin Franklin Eckrote – a friend of the family. Witnesses indicated Eckrote had been consuming alcohol throughout the day. Jaden recorded a short video just after 7:00 p.m. EDT on his phone in which Eckrote is seen drinking alcohol and appearing to sway while attempting to walk in a straight line.
In the background of the video, Jaden tells his friend, “you are fucked up.”
Sometime after this short video was made – but before the first 911 call was placed – the boat began heading back to the campsite from the sandbar with Eckrote at the helm. A second boat driven by Eric Langen – another member of the camping party – followed behind, although Langen told investigators he did not witness what happened next.
Incident reports (.pdf) indicate the boat struck a fallen tree as Eckrote was allegedly “cutting the river” – which refers to a watercraft skirting the riverbank at a high rate of speed while traversing a bend in the river. Jaden – who apparently didn’t see the branches (and didn’t have time to duck to avoid being hit) – sustained multiple injuries to the front and back of his head upon impact.
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Langen – whose boat had fallen behind Eckrote’s – came around river bend a few moments later. He saw trees shaking and realized Eckrote’s boat had crashed into them. When he pulled alongside the vessel, he told investigators he saw Jaden slumped over with his arm hanging out of the side of the boat. According to Langen, Jaden was gurgling while trying to breathe. Langen said he told Eckrote to call 911 immediately and have an ambulance meet them at the landing while he went to the campsite to get Shayne.
No 911 call was placed until the boat reached the landing, however.
By the time the boat arrived at Bates Bridge, Jaden was unconscious on the floor of the boat bleeding profusely from his head and still struggling to breathe. Incident reports indicate the floor of the watercraft was littered with empty beer cans, blood and vomit.
From the moment the bystander called 911 – in a situation in which every second mattered – everything that could have gone wrong did. For Jaden’s family, they hope the bill filed by Johnson can make a difference for others in critical situations on the water.
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WHAT WENT WRONG…
Paul Catoe was at the Bates Bridge landing when Eckrote’s boat came flying around the river bend. Catoe – who happened to be a first responder – immediately began administering first aid to Jaden while additional bystanders called 911. Unfortunately, Bates Bridge landing is located just 500 feet within the Richland County border – and so emergency calls were volleyed between Calhoun County, Orangeburg County, Lexington County, Richland County and S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) dispatch operators.
These operators struggled to determine which entity had jurisdiction.
When it was eventually determined the accident had occurred in Richland County, an ambulance was dispatched to the scene – but its driver reportedly struggled to locate the boat ramp entrance. Additionally, the ambulance left the station with only two people – apparently unaware Phillips was unconscious and unstable, which would have necessitated a third person to assist with his transportation.
Upon arriving, the crew reportedly had to wait for the arrival of a third emergency responder to safely transport him to the hospital.
Jaden’s Law would require 911 dispatchers to provide all law enforcement agencies, emergency medical service providers, and first responders the physical address and GPS coordinates for all public boat landings, It would also require SCDNR to identify the boat landings with visible signs facing both directions at their entrances.
Speaking of SCDNR, the agency was notified of the incident via a separate dispatch call. That recording clearly indicated agency dispatchers knew someone had suffered a serious injury on the river, but it’s not immediately clear whether they knew the incident had occurred on the water – which matters a great deal as it would have resulted in the investigation becoming the agency’s responsibility.

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Jaden’s Law would require 911 dispatchers to ask callers if an accident victim had “sustained injuries while on a body of water.” If the response is yes, the dispatcher would be required to direct SCDNR to respond to the call.
Richland County sheriff’s department deputy Daniel Brigman responded to the scene of the accident along with a reserve deputy who was riding with him. Bodycam footage showed Brigman did not ask Eckrote’s name or inquire whether he had anything to drink despite a crowd at the scene telling him other members of the party had been consuming alcohol.
According to a civil suit filed by the family in May of 2022, there is no record of a field sobriety test being administered – nor was a breathalyzer examination ever sought. The scene was also allegedly never secured or processed for potential evidence of a crime. Furthermore, the suit alleged SCDNR was never officially notified of the accident as required by state law.
Deputy Brigman cleared the scene at 8:32 p.m. EDT – just moments after Jaden Phillips departed in an ambulance.
Jaden’s Law would require investigators to conduct a breathalyzer examination on the driver of a vessel involved in a boating accident.
Jaden Phillips was transferred to a nearby hospital where he remained on life support for four days before his family made the painful decision to remove him from the ventilator. He died minutes later – on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 – having never regained consciousness following the accident. Eckrote was eventually charged with negligent operation of a water device and boating under suspension – tied to a previous boating under the influence (BUI) incident – although neither charge was related to Jaden’s death.
Jaden’s parents told police during the four days that Jaden was hospitalized they assumed the sheriff’s department and SCDNR were actively investigating the incident – and that they fully expected Irvin Eckrote would be arrested in connection with the death of their son. They later learned later the investigation actually began on May 23, 2020 when SCDNR first learned it had jurisdiction in the matter.
Jaden’s Law would require officers responding to a scene at which an individual is unconscious or deceased to prepare a written incident report, secure the accident scene, conduct an immediate investigation regarding the incident, and if needed, seek the assistance of additional law enforcement agencies.
It would also require law enforcement agencies to obtain the assistance of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
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‘THIS CANNOT HAPPEN AGAIN’
The lack of answers and accountability surrounding their son’s death spurred Sabria and Shayne Phillips into action. In their eyes, an investigation into a reported crash on the waterway should be handled exactly the same way as a reported crash on the roadway.
“There is no walking away,” they said. “They are BOTH investigated, every time.”
They also question whether SCDNR officers are qualified to handle death investigations – proposing special consideration should be given to deaths and potential homicides that occur on the water as the department handles very few of these cases.
“No parent should be expected, nor required to visualize their child’s body and be the one to say: Wait, there’s a huge problem,” Jaden’s parents said. “No parent should be forced to review their child’s medical records, to again have to say: Wait, this confirms there is a HUGE problem. How do we change the narrative? This cannot happen again.”
The wrongful death case filed by Jaden’s family is still pending in Richland County, but while they await their final chance at justice, they are hoping the passing of Jaden’s Law could prevent other families from experiencing the pain they have gone through over the past four years.
“We would give anything to change the events of May 16, 2020,” they noted. “The reality is, we can’t. We can however work together to ensure that Jaden’s story is never the reality of another child or family.”
“If the story remains the same, so will the ending,” they added. “It is our responsibility to change the narrative. We cannot do this alone.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Jenn Wood is FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts and leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice. A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, this mom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country. Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!) Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.
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1 comment
Young men, boats and booze – you can change anything you want but those three will always be a dangerous mix.