A woman who was saved from drowning after falling off a jet ski has said her rescuer was right to kill her friend.
Hannah Ayers, 19, and her friend Nathan Drew Morgan, 29, were jet skiing on Lake Keowee in South Carolina on 15 March when they fell off without life jackets.
Noticing they were in distress, 74-year-old John Dotson hauled them on to his pontoon boat, but Morgan is then said to have assaulted John and his wife Debra.
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John subsequently shot and killed Morgan, and he was cleared of any charges, with the killing ruled as 'self-defence'.
Now Hannah has spoken out about the horrific ordeal, hailing John a 'hero'.
She told MailOnline: "Drew was my friend and I will mourn him as my friend. But I will never understand the way he was acting that day – it's like a demon possessed his body.
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"He was aggressive from the moment he set foot on that boat. They were physically fighting, Drew wouldn't stop, he wouldn't calm down.
"In my eyes there was no question that John had to shoot to protect himself and his wife. He will be my hero for life because, if it wasn't for him, I would have drowned in the water that day."
Hannah said she and Morgan – who leaves behind a 10-year-old son – were just friends, and had hung out together last summer. But she became concerned on the way to the lake when she noticed Morgan was slurring his words, though she didn't see him drink or take anything.
Soon after hitting the lake, Hannah said Morgan flipped the jet ski after going too fast.
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She recalled: "I thought I dropped my phone, I was all out of sorts because the water's cold, I'm in sweatpants and a baggy hoodie. I'm real irritated at that point.
"He threatened to leave me at the island. He was calling me a b***h. I was in front of him and he kept trying to yank me backwards by my hair. I was like, just take me to the dock."
They were subsequently thrown out of the jet ski once again, with the jet ski continuing to circle in the lake.
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Hannah said she was fearing for her life when the Dotsons came to their rescue; but then things took an inexplicable and tragic turn for the worse.
She said: "He [Morgan] was calling him [John] a b***h, a p***y boy, saying he would knock him between his eyes. The old man was saying just calm down and we'll take you to the jet ski.
"He struggles with the old man so hard that he breaks the ignition so the boat can't go anywhere. Next thing I turn around and he's got both of them.
"I yelled at him to let go. I hit him a few times. And that's when I pushed him off the boat to try and de-escalate the situation."
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She continued: "He was choking the old man out and the old man took the bottom of the gun and was trying to hit him away with it.
"There was two warning shots in the air. He was begging him, please stop, I don't want to hurt you. I could see in the old man's eyes he was tired, he could not fight anymore.
"I remember hearing the shot, I turned round and I saw Drew's head drop. And then I heard his last two breaths.
"The woman was trying to give him CPR, she was holding his head, she was crying over him. They did not want Drew to die. It was self-defence in every possible way."
In a statement released last Friday, 18 March, Oconee County Sheriff’s Office said: "A shooting that occurred Tuesday afternoon on a pontoon boat on Lake Keowee has been ruled as a case of self-defence.
"Investigators met the 10th Circuit Solicitor’s Office yesterday to present the evidence and information obtained in the case. Based upon evidence that was presented, 10th Circuit Solicitor David Wagner has determined that the shooting was in self-defence and no charges will be filed.
"According to Investigators, all parties have been notified of the decision not to file charges in the case. The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is asking for continued prayer for the family of Nathan Drew Morgan, who is the deceased as a result of the shooting."
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
Jake Massey