Grandma told 12-year-old to ‘swim for help’ in dangerous water after they got stuck on jet skis, sheriff says

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC/Gray News) – A grandmother in South Carolina is facing charges for allegedly telling her granddaughter to “swim for help” in dangerous waters after they got stranded on jet skis.

According to the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, 53-year-old Anne Lachell Sellers is charged with unlawful conduct towards a minor.

Deputies were called after the 12-year-old granddaughter was reported missing Tuesday afternoon at the Bushy Parking Boat Landing.

The sheriff’s office said Sellers called 911 to say she was stranded on a jet ski and that her granddaughter had attempted to swim to shore for help.

Several marine vessels and drones were sent to search for the girl. They later found her in the marshland, about 500 yards from the boat ramp.

The grandmother was also brought to shore.

The girl was taken to a local hospital for cuts on her arms and legs, which she suffered while swimming, according to deputies.

According to the sheriff’s office, investigators found that Sellers lied during initial interviews.

Deputies discovered that she and her granddaughter took separate jet skis, and one of them was not working correctly.

When they both became stranded, Sellers allegedly told the 12-year-old girl to “swim for help” despite the strong currents, high winds and wildlife threats in the area.

Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis said the child was lucky to be alive.

“Careless decisions that endanger the lives of juveniles will not be tolerated, and we will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law,” Lewis said. “Not only was this child’s life put at risk, but so were the lives of our first responders who entered dangerous conditions to conduct the rescue. These actions are unacceptable and criminally negligent.”

Sellers is being held at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center, where she awaits a bond hearing.

Several agencies responded to the rescue mission, including the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol, along with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the US Coast Guard, the Naval Weapons Station Fire Department and the Pimlico Fire Department.