‘Rest in love’: Family of 3-year-old boy found dead in pond honor him at vigil in Port Royal
The family of a boy who died after wandering off from his Shadow Moss home in Port Royal last week honored him over the weekend at a public vigil.
“Rest in love, my baby,” said Jayla Renae, who identified herself on social media as the older sister of 3-year-old Mason Henley.
Family members arranged candles in the shape of letters to form the boy’s name in front of a wooden cross on Saturday near the pond where his body was found. Stuffed animals and blue balloons along with photos of the child were also laid out for the vigil. Dozens of star-shaped balloons were released as family members and friends joined in with the solemn litany, “long live Mason.”
The boy was last seen around 7 p.m. on Aug. 31 at his home on Cedar Creek Circle. Doorbell camera footage in the neighborhood showed him wandering off while chasing ducks near his home, which backs up to the pond. Mason’s body was found in the water around 10:40 p.m. approximately 15-20 feet from the shoreline, according to previous reporting by the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette.
The boy’s death has been ruled as an accidental drowning, according to autopsy results, Beaufort County Coroner David Ott said Wednesday.
A date for a funeral or celebration of life ceremony has not been released. A friend of the family set up a GoFundMe to cover funeral expenses.
“This is a sad time for the family, so we would like to help offset the cost of the funeral, moving, and counseling for the other siblings,” a family friend said on the GoFundMe page.
