Citadel cadet killed when boat hit dock and driver’s arrested, SC officials say

A Citadel cadet was killed in a boat crash in South Carolina, and the operator of the vessel was recently arrested, officials said.

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Evan Andrew Greenleigh — a 19-year-old from Bethesda, Maryland — died in the April 25 crash in Charleston County, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources said Thursday in a news release. Greenleigh was a cadet-athlete at The Citadel, school officials said.

Greenleigh was one of seven people on a boat that departed Shem Creek before crashing into a floating dock, according to South Carolina DNR. The boat’s maximum capacity was four occupants, South Carolina DNR said.

The teenage Citadel student died at the scene, while the boat’s other occupants, including the driver, were taken to an area hospital, according to South Carolina DNR. By noon April 26, all had been treated and released, South Carolina DNR said. Further information on their conditions was not available.

On Wednesday, South Carolina DNR Law Enforcement arrested Edward Marion Tavel III, according to the release. The 21-year-old Charleston County resident was charged with involuntary manslaughter, Charleston County court records show.

A $50,000 personal recognizance bond was posted the same day Tavel was arrested, according to court records. He’s currently scheduled to return to court in July, and again in November, judicial records show.

South Carolina DNR said an investigation into the crash revealed that Tavel was driving the boat while the other six occupants were at the front of the vessel. This significantly restricted the operator’s line of sight, according to South Carolina DNR.

Traveling at an estimated 25 to 30 mph, Tavel failed to spot a floating dock in time to react, resulting in the fatal collision, South Carolina DNR said.

The investigation revealed that Tavel consumed alcohol earlier in the day, but a blood draw conducted at the hospital came back negative for alcohol, according to South Carolina DNR.

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South Carolina DNR said it “urges all boaters to respect vessel capacity limits, position passengers in a manner that preserves the operator’s visibility, and reduce speed in conditions where hazards may not be immediately visible, allowing adequate time to identify and avoid obstacles.”

This is not the first time that Tavel has been arrested.

On Jan. 1, 2024, Tavel was charged with watercraft/dealer violating titling of watercraft, according to court records.

In December 2025, Tavel was charged with watercraft/equipment and operation of watercraft chapter violation, and was found guilty of the crime the following month, court records show.

On April 4, weeks before the crash where Greenleigh died, Tavel was charged with watercraft/dealer violating titling of watercraft as well as watercraft/equipment and operation of watercraft chapter violation, and was found guilty May 27, according to court records.

Greenleigh was mourned by The Citadel, where he was mechanical engineering major, a member of Echo Company on the tennis program, school officials said.

“Evan’s energy and focus level from day one was so high,” Citadel tennis coach Chuck Kriese said in a news release shared by the school. “As a cadet-athlete, he balanced the demands of the Corps of Cadets, academics and Division I athletics with humility and a willingness to serve others. He always had a bright, positive attitude and brought great energy to everything he did.”