Father and 9-year-old daughter mistaken for deer fatally shot while hunting

A 9-year-old girl and her father were fatally shot while hunting on New Year's Day when they were mistaken for deer, South Carolina officials said.

Wednesday in Walterboro, a group of hunters were trying to move deer, also known as driving deer, the state Department of Natural Resources said in a news release. The man and his daughter were mistaken for deer and shot, the department said. A spokesperson declined to comment further on the incident.

Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey confirmed Kim Drawdy, 30, and Lauren Drawdy, 9, were killed. A full autopsy will be performed, Harvey told USA TODAY.

WCBD-TV reported that the incident occurred on the last day of deer hunting season in woods behind Drawdy's house.

Video: Deer Kills Hunter After Being Shot

Drawdy's brother Benny described Kim as "a real outdoorsman."

"When I got the message, I just couldn’t believe it, my heart stopped when they told me it was my brother and his daughter," he told WCBD-TV. "You know, it was terrible."

Although hunting accidents are rare, South Carolina saw 16 in 2019, The Associated Press reported.

In Georgia and Michigan, similar incidents occurred in which hunters were mistaken for a deer.

More on hunting accidents: Georgia teen fatally shot by fellow hunter who mistook him for a deer

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: South Carolina father, daughter killed hunting, mistaken for deer