RAVENEL, SC — A settlement agreement has been reached for the estate of Tallon Goff, who died from injuries sustained in a boating accident on July 3, 2025.
The payout totals approximately $387,000 after attorney fees and legal costs, according to court documents. Goff, 22, suffered fatal blunt force trauma when his head struck a low-lying overpass while riding in a 1988 Boston Whaler operated by his friend, Luca Gruber.
Gruber, who remained unharmed, faced charges of reckless homicide following the incident, which occurred on a tributary of Wallace Creek. The crash took place after the vessel passed beneath two bridges. Gruber and his father had previously filed a defensive civil action asserting that the circumstances of Goff’s death were beyond his control.
The federal civil case concluded on June 24 when U.S. District Judge Richard M. Gergel approved the settlement, despite Gruber claiming that the boat was worth only $12,000. Mediation between the parties ultimately resulted in the wrongful death settlement, as confirmed by a federal court order.
The criminal proceedings against Gruber are ongoing, with him released on personal recognizance bail, which requires no payment unless he fails to appear in court.