An 8-year-old second grader from South Carolina, Lionel Ramirez Cervantes, tragically drowned in a pond near his school after going missing on September 12, 2024.
Lionel, a student at Bells Crossing Elementary in Simpsonville, was last seen around 11 a.m. before running from the school. He had been with two students and three staff members, who attempted to chase him but lost sight of him.
The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office launched a search and asked the public to check cameras and property for any signs of Lionel. Around 3 p.m., his body was found in a pond off Lenox Lake Drive, not far from the school.
The sheriff’s office confirmed the heartbreaking news on Facebook and said victim coordinators were supporting the family.
Lionel’s mother, Dalia Cervantes, a single mom of five, expressed her grief online, saying, “Negligence caused his death. Now I am left without my Leo.”