A South Carolina second grader is dead after he allegedly drowned in a pond near his school. Lionel Ramirez Cervantes, 8, lived with autism and was a student at Bells Crossing Elementary School in Simpsonville. He was last seen at school around 11 a.m. September 12 before he seemingly disappeared.
When he ran from the classroom and the building, WYFF reported, Lionel was with two other students and three staff members. Staff members tried to chase him but lost track of the boy. The Greenville County Sheriff's Office launched a search for the child that sadly ended in tragedy.
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School staff reportedly tried to find Lionel.
WYFF posted that the school resource officer contacted law enforcement, who helped search for the boy. The sheriff's department posted updates on Facebook and asked the community for help.
At 2:10 p.m., the department wrote, "Lionel is still missing. While we are continuing our search efforts, we ask that community members who are asking to help in the search not get out of their vehicles to begin searching 'on foot,' as we do have dogs on the ground who operate off a scent. The biggest ask is for people to check their property and camera systems to see if they had any activity on them that might have captured Lionel's movements."
Sadly, divers found Lionel's body later in the afternoon.
The sheriff's office posted at 4:12 p.m. that Lionel's body had been located not far from the school.
"The GCSO is heartbroken to report that 8-year-old Lionel Ramirez Cervantes, who ran off from Bells Crossing Elementary School, has been located in a body of water off Lenox Lake Drive, a short distance from the school. Lionel reportedly left out of the school and was last seen near the playground around 11:10 a.m., the post on Facebook read.
"Deputies responded to initiate search and rescue efforts and conducted those the entire day. Shortly after 3:00 pm Lionel's body was found by dive team members in a body [of] water off Lenox Lake Drive. The GCSO has victim coordinators on site to help the family through this devastating occurrence. Our thoughts are prayers are with the family at this time."
The school district shared the grief about the tragic accident.
In a Facebook post, Greenville County School District officials expressed their sadness about Lionel's death but assured the community and staff that they had done their best to find him as soon as possible.
"He ran from the classroom and then the building, and multiple school staff members immediately pursued. He went up a hill, beyond a fence off campus, and into a field with very high grass. At that time, staff lost visibility of the student," the post reads.
School officials added that student safety was their highest priority.
"Please understand that the safety of students is always our top priority. Appropriate GCS personnel, including staff at Bell's Crossing Elementary, receive numerous trainings in the management of student behaviors, including specific training regarding elopement (a term which includes a number of behaviors such as running away)," the post continued.
Lionel's mother is heartbroken.
Dalia Cervantes, a single mom of five, shared her devastation on Facebook.
"Today i received a call from Lionel school that he went missing. A few hours later he was found in a nearby creek. I know he is now in a better place, and with his dad. But my boy did not have to loose his life this way," she wrote. "Negligence caused his death. Now i am left without my Leo. I do want to Thank everybody who has taken their time to send me and my kids condolences and support. I saw the video and it does not justify their actions."
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A friend set up a GoFundMe account for the family.
Jannira Martinez shared the family's story on the fundraiser. With more than $63,000 in donations thus far, it has surpassed the initial goal of $25,000.
"Dalia took her son Lionel to school at Bells Crossing Elementary, where he was in 2nd grade. She never in a million years thought she would never see her baby alive again," the post reads in part. "Lionel reportedly left the school and was last seen near the playground around 11:10 am. Deputies responded to initiate search and rescue efforts and conducted those the entire day. Shortly after 3:00 pm, Lionel's body was found by dive team members in a body of water off Lenox Lake Drive."
