South Carolina Veteran Dies on His Birthday Trying to Save 13-Year-Old Boy from Drowning: 'Definition of Hero'

Mar. 15, 2025

Lonnie Hancock.Photo:Gofundme

Gofundme

A South Carolina veteran died on his birthday while trying to save a 13-year-old boy from drowning, authorities said.

The teen was fishing with his family on Saturday, March 8, when he slipped on rocks and fell into a river in Ridgeway, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office said, according toCBS affiliate WLTXandFox affiliate WACH. Lonnie Hancock, 43, and Valentin Quiroz, 21, were among a group who jumped into the water to save the teen. Both died, WLTX, WACH andWISreported.

“These men didn’t hesitate,” said Boan, according to the outlet. “They saw someone in trouble and they jumped in. That’s what heroes do.”

Two people heard screams and then realized a boy had fallen into the river.

“At first we thought it was just kids playing in the water and then we heard a lady scream and then we knew something was going on and it was bad,” Gary Mallot, who witnessed the rescue, toldWIS.

After the teenager was rescued, search efforts continued for Hancock and Quiroz. Both bodies were found separately that weekend, according to WLTX.

The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

“They made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Sheriff Lee Boan, who noted that the water temperature was in the low 50s at the time, according toWLTX. “Two heroes jumped into the water without hesitation, trying to save a life. That is the definition of hero.”

Hancock, who served in the Navy for 20 years, was a father of four, the station reported. The day of the accident was his 43rd birthday.

“There was no thought, no hesitation,” Lance Abernathy, who worked as a high school coach at Chesterfield High, told the outlet about his former athlete. Hancock was an All-Region football player and two-time Top 3 state placer in wrestling, according to the outlet.

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“He saw a kid in trouble and sprang into action, because that’s just who he was,” Abernathy told the outlet. “That’s what he did, and that’s what he knew.”

AGoFundMepage was created in support of Hancock’s surviving wife, Jessica Yarber, and their four children. Organizer Stacy Noll told PEOPLE that Hancock was compassionate and never asked for recognition.

“He was simply the kind of person who would do anything for anyone,” Noll said.

“Our bond, like most service members that serve together, we become family,” she added. “His loss is deeply felt, and his legacy of kindness, courage, and selflessness will never be forgotten.”

Hancock’s funeral is scheduled for May 22, according to the GoFundMe page.

source: people.com