South Carolina girl drowns in North Carolina river, her family speaks out

GAFFNEY, S.C. (WSPA) – A 10-year-old girl from Gaffney drowned in a North Carolina river Saturday. The family is now warning others about how dangerous this channel can be.

Chris Ingram says his 10-year-old niece, Cedra Abdin, was swimming in the Broad River on Saturday with her two sisters when things changed.

“I got a phone call from my sister saying Cedra and the other sisters were missing, they were swimming in the river,” Ingram said.

Ingram said the girls began returning to shore around 7 p.m. when they encountered deep water.

“They were swimming in water that was about three to four feet deep at the time, and Grandma was calling them because they were getting pulled out a little bit,” Ingram said. “So, they turned around to go back to the shore and Cedra took a step to the other side and came to this deep end. It was just one fall, so she went from 4 feet to 12 feet in one step.”

We’re told a nearby couple jumped in and rescued Cedra’s two sisters.

“When she turned around, the wife noticed that Cedra had gone under and was trying to follow her. Cedra had surfaced, about (for a few) seconds after going under, but it was just the top of her head and she was never seen again,” Ingram said.

Rescuers began searching for Cedra on Saturday, but were unable to recover her body until Sunday.

Ingram said her family is grateful for the rescuers’ quick recovery, but wants to warn other families to take precautions so this never happens again.

“I want people to understand the risk of that river…Wear life jackets, watch your kids because it was deep, it was just an instant drop of danger, we want people to know that,” Ingram said.

Ingram said Cedra made a big impact during her 10 short years.

“She was the sweetest thing, always happy, always smiling, she was mom’s little helper, a great sister, full of life, not afraid to do anything, always out there, so many friends, teachers, everyone she met. came into contact. touched,” she said.

Broad River Greenway issued a statement on Facebook asking people to prioritize safety and use caution when engaging in recreational activities near bodies of water.