A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded on September 12, 2024, when 8-year-old Lionel Ramirez Cervantes drowned in a pond near his elementary school in Simpsonville, South Carolina.

Lionel, a second grader at Bells Crossing Elementary, was last seen around 11 a.m. after reportedly running from his classroom. He had been with two other students and three staff members when he fled, but attempts to catch up with him failed.

The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office launched a large-scale search, urging the public to check their properties and camera footage. Despite efforts, Lionel’s body was found just after 3 p.m. in a pond near Lenox Lake Drive, not far from the school.

In a public statement, the sheriff’s office expressed deep sorrow and confirmed that victim coordinators were supporting the family during this unimaginable loss.

Lionel’s mother, Dalia Cervantes — a single mother of five — later shared her grief on social media, blaming negligence for her son’s death. “My boy did not have to lose his life this way,” she wrote. “Now I am left without my Leo.”

Rest in peace, Lionel Ramirez Cervantes.