Sumter man dies in attempt to save child who fell into water in Kershaw County
Man described as 'hero' after dying on his birthday trying to save child
A 43-year-old Sumter man was identified as one of two individuals recovered from the Wateree River after going under in an attempt to save a child who fell into the water.
According to an incident report provided by Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, multiple agencies responded to the Wateree Dam on Tail Race Road at around 4 p.m. after a call requesting water rescue on Saturday, March 8.
Deputies arrived and were directed to speak with three children who watched the incident take place.
According to the report, the children and Lonnie Hancock were sitting in their vehicle in the parking lot of the dam when they witnessed a 13-year-old boy walking along the rocks near the water’s edge. The child then fell into the river.
Hancock then exited his vehicle and ran down to the bank to rescue the young child. The children told deputies they never saw Hancock resurface.
Deputies went to speak with the child and his father, who said the child attempted to step from one rock to another and slipped, falling into the river. The father then jumped in to save him. Another male, 21-year-old Valentin Ulises Nicolas-Quiros, of Richland, a friend of the family, also jumped in to rescue the child.
Deputies were able to determine that both the father and son as well as Hancock and Quiros were the only individuals to go into the water. Only the father and son resurfaced, the report said.
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Kershaw County Fire Services entered the water to begin a search and rescue of Hancock and Quiros. Kershaw County Sheriff Lee Boan said during a news conference on Monday, March 10 that water temperatures were in the lower 50s and the current was rapid behind the dam, where they entered the river.
Crews remained on scene on Saturday, recovering Quiros at 8:45 p.m. before pausing the search after 10 p.m. due to low visibility and water temperatures. Hancock was recovered on Sunday at about 12:20 p.m. They were found about 50 yards away from where they entered the water, Boan said.
An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m.
During the news conference, Boan said the entire incident took place in less than a minute, and he described both men as “heroes.”
Boan then went on to share information about Hancock. Retiring from the United States Navy in 2020 after 20 years of service, he was a husband and father to four children, ages 19, 12, 9 and 8. Three of the children were with him and his wife on that Saturday, which happened to be Hancock’s 43rd birthday, Boan said.
Background information on Quiros was not available during the news conference. Boan said the agency hoped to honor both victims some time in the future.
“This man that you’re looking at in this picture here,” Boan said, gesturing to the photo of Hancock and his wife, “he’s the definition of a hero.”