Deadly Boat Ramp Faces Dismantling

The boat ramp where Susan Smith drowned her two sons will be dismantled, state officials decided, partly because seven visitors to the boys’ memorial died when their car slid into the lake. As many as 900 people a week visit John D. Long Lake, most to lay flowers or pray. Other changes include building a guardrail between the parking area and the shore and posting hours of operation. Michael, 3, and Alex, 14 months, drowned in October 1994. Smith, who for nine days insisted that a man had commandeered her car, was sentenced to life in prison.