A tragic incident occurred at an elementary school in South Carolina, where an 8-year-old boy was found dead in a pond after running away from his classroom on Thursday, according to authorities.
Lionel Ramirez Cervantes was in a classroom with two other students and three staff members when he suddenly bolted into the hallway, exited the building, and made his way over or through a fence into a nearby field with tall grass. School officials said that he quickly disappeared from view.
The Greenville County Schools released a statement explaining that law enforcement was immediately contacted. Officers, school staff, and local community members began a search, which ended four hours later when divers discovered Lionel’s body in a neighborhood pond about 1,000 feet (300 meters) from Bell’s Crossing Elementary School in Simpsonville.
“A lot of broken hearts in that school and community today,” Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis said during a press conference.
Before the discovery of the boy’s body, deputies had shared information that Lionel may have had autism or another developmental disorder, which could explain why he may not have responded to verbal commands.
Authorities and school officials are investigating the circumstances of how the child managed to leave the school grounds. They emphasized that staff members acted swiftly and made efforts to catch him.
“This was our worst fear today, and we are grieving as a community. We are devastated to lose one of our children. We will come together with the district’s support,” said Chris Ross, Principal of Bell’s Crossing Elementary, in a statement.
The school remained open on Friday, and grief counselors were made available to both students and teachers. The district also assured Lionel’s family that they would receive all necessary support.
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An autopsy conducted on Friday by the Greenville County Coroner’s Office confirmed that the cause of death was accidental drowning.
