JENKINSVILLE – Two separate incidents at Lake Monticello last week resulted in the deaths of six-year-old Julian Thomas-Smith of Columbia and 19-year-old Jimmy Montufor of Charlotte.
Around 9 p.m. on Monday, June 14, Fairfield County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report that a child had drowned at the Monticello Ball Park and bystanders were performing CPR.
According to the incident report from the sheriff’s office, Thomas-Smith regained a pulse. He was transported by EMS to Providence Fairfield Emergency Room and then to Prisma Health Richland, where he succumbed to his injuries on June 16.
On Saturday, June 19, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) responded to a request for assistance from the Fairfield County Fire Services at approximately 5 p.m. Witnesses reported that a male paddling on a kayak-style inflatable raft a short distance outside of the marked swimming area at the recreation area had fallen into the water, began struggling and disappeared.
SCDRN and Fire Service divers searched until dark Saturday evening and resumed searching Sunday morning when they located the body of Montufor around 10 a.m.
The incident is under investigation by SCDNR.
