Columbia boy, NC teen drown in Midlands lake in separate incidents, coroner says

A 6-year-old from Columbia and a 19-year-old from Charlotte died in separate drownings in the same Midlands lake last week, according to the Fairfield County Coroner’s Office.

Both Jullian Thomas-Smith and Jimmy Montufor drowned in Lake Monticello, Coroner Chris Hill said Monday in a news release. The lake in Jenkinsville is about 30 miles north of Columbia.

Thomas-Smith is the Columbia boy who went in the water on June 14 and was taken to the Providence Health Fairfield Emergency Room, according to the release. He was later transferred to a Prisma Health hospital in Richland County where he died on June 16, Hill said.

Montufor, the teenager from Charlotte, drowned in the lake on June 19, according to the release. His body was recovered the following day, Hill said.

At about 5 p.m., Montufor was seen paddling on a kayak-style inflatable raft a short distance outside of the marked swimming area at the recreation area when he fell into the water, began struggling and disappeared, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

SCDNR and fire services divers searched until after dark on Saturday evening, and the SCDNR dive team resumed it sonar-aided search Sunday morning before Montufor was found on the lake’s western shore at about 10 a.m. There was no word how deep the water was in that area.

“It’s a tragedy for a family anytime we have an incident like this, and of course it hits home even more to have it happen on Father’s day weekend — the drowned man was somebody’s son,” SCDNR Dive Team Supervisor Sgt. Dwayne Rogers said in a news release.

Information on what led to the drownings was not available but the water deaths are being investigated by the coroner’s office and the SCDNR.

A boating accident is also being investigated by SCDNR.