Nearly 10-year-old case of missing Mount Pleasant man solved after independent divers find vehicle, remains in Black River

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A traveling insurance agent who lived in Mount Pleasant went missing in 2015 with his last phone ping around Browns Ferry Landing. Nearly ten years later, a nonprofit diving crew found his vehicle submerged at the bottom of the boat ramp.

Initial Disappearance

Daniel Riggs was last seen in November of 2015, according to a Mount Pleasant Police report. His girlfriend called to report him missing after a text conversation where Riggs told her she would not see him again.

His girlfriend told police that the two had been having relationship problems and Riggs had a history of depression. Riggs was out of town on business in Georgetown when he texted that he would never see her again.

She said she thought she got him to calm down “when he finally texted her, “I love you with all my heart,” the report said. However, Riggs’ phone went dead around 7 p.m. that night and had not worked since, according to the report.

Police said the girlfriend told them that Riggs had never disappeared like this before and that he was last seen driving a black Dodge Nitro with Florida Gator stickers on it.

In Between

Over the years, Sergeant Ashley Croy with Mount Pleasant PD said the department and other agencies have performed numerous searches in the area of Riggs’ last phone ping.

Those searches consisted of walking on foot, side-scanning sonar, and numerous dive teams canvassing the area for signs of Riggs. They sometimes involved multiple other agencies but to no avail.

Riggs’ case information has been entered into numerous missing persons systems, including the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).

One day, Riggs’ case was brought to the attention of Rapid Compassion Collective (RapidCC), a nonprofit diving crew that searches for missing people, especially when their cases involve missing vehicles.

Search and Discovery

Fast-forward to August 2024. Adam Brown, a RapidCC member, and Jason Souhrada, a Myrtle Beach-based diver, began their search in Myrtle Beach waterways after receiving a tip that Riggs’s credit card had been charged there shortly before he went missing.

Brown said the duo explored the Waccamaw River and Intracoastal Waterway, finding no signs of Riggs, but they continued their search. Souhrada then got a new tip about the phone ping, so the pair moved their search.

Using newer sonar technology, they scoured Black River, coming across vehicle after vehicle on the radar. Brown estimated there were about 20-30 vehicles decomposing in the water.

The search continued until Brown finally had luck. “At first, it didn’t even look like a car,” he said. But he had a feeling this was Rigg’s vehicle. When getting closer, using an underwater drone, he saw the first two license plate characters that matched the plate for Riggs’ and the Dodge logo on the tire.

After calling the authorities and having it pulled out of the water, they could see that the black Nitro, which was found nose first directly in front of the boat ramp, had a Florida gators front tag.

Police later confirmed the vehicle was registered to Daniel Riggs. The Georgetown County Coroner’s Office confirmed the human remains found in the SUV were those of Daniel Charles Riggs.

How did the private team find Riggs when law enforcement had been searching for years, though?

Brown said it happens more than most realize. Many times, law enforcement searchers are working with limited time and resources.

RapidCC specializes in searches like the one for Riggs and his missing vehicle. Brown not only dives with RapidCC but also runs his own dive channels, where he fishes stolen vehicles, lost treasures, and abandoned items out of waterways.

If you’d like to learn more about RapidCC, click here.