Nationwide — Abel Friday-Williams, a 7-year-old African American boy from Hickory, North Carolina, drowned at a waterfall after reportedly trying to save a friend. Deputies said he may have entered the water during the attempt and are still investigating what happened, including supervision at the scene.
Abel had gone to the park with a friend and an adult on Wednesday when the tragedy happened. Authorities said he ended up in the water near a waterfall and may have gone in to help his friend.
According to WLBT, deputies said they are still working to understand exactly what led to the drowning. They are also looking into reports that Abel may not have been properly supervised at the time.
Family members later returned to the site to grieve and honored Abel as a brave boy. “It breaks my heart because he saved his friend and lost his [life]. He went in behind his friend to save his life and lost his.”
The area where the drowning happened sits near Bruce Meisner Park but is not part of the official park grounds. City officials said it belongs to a wastewater treatment facility and is not intended for public access. The path leading to the waterfall was not built or maintained by the city, but residents say people still go there and may not realize how dangerous it is.
After the tragedy, family members and locals are urging stronger warnings about the dangers in the area. A nearby resident, Tara Rink, described a recent rescue where a man had to jump in to save a little girl. “I assisted in pulling them out, because there’s no way I could have gotten them out because the rocks are too slick. It’s nothing but slime. It was terrifying,” she said.
The mayor of Hickory said officials will review the area and consider safety improvements to help prevent similar incidents in the future.