A young boy drowned while trying to save his friend at a North Carolina waterfall, his heartbroken family has revealed.
Abel Friday-Williams, seven, was found at the bottom of a waterfall in a pond near Bruce Meisner Park on Wednesday.
First responders were called to the scene of a possible drowning just before 7pm, according to the Catawba County Sheriff's Office.
'When emergency responders arrived, they recovered a seven-year-old male child that was submerged in a body of water that connects to the park,' the sheriff's office said.
'The child was transported to Frye Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased.'
The boy's family said he came to the park with a friend and an adult, and may have gone into the water to help the other child.
'It breaks my heart because he saved his friend and lost his,' Brianna Sledge, Friday-Williams' aunt, told WSCO.
'He went in behind his friends to save his life and lost his.'
The sheriff's office told the local news station they are investigating allegations that the boy may have been unsupervised at the time and that he went into the water to help a friend.
The city of Hickory, where the waterfall is located, specified that the drowning did not happen on park property.
The area near the waterfall is part of the city's northwest wastewater treatment pump station, and the surrounding path is not intended for public use.
'There needs to be awareness that this is very dangerous. Just looking at the situation, it's very, very, very dangerous,' said Friday-Williams' cousin, Lashun Ramseur.
A first grade student at at Southwest Primary Elementary, Friday-Williams was described as a 'bright light to all who knew him.'
'He carried himself with a kindness and good manners that made him stand out, even at such a young age,' his obituary stated.
'He had a deep love for sports and especially enjoyed playing football with the Mountain View Tigers.
'Whether on the field or at home, Abel brought joy, laughter, and a spirited energy that will be deeply missed by everyone who knew and loved him.'
The boy's family said he came to the park with a friend and an adult, and may have gone into the water to help the other child.
A first grade student at at Southwest Primary Elementary, Friday-Williams was described as a 'bright light to all who knew him.'
One of his teachers, Patricia Icard Baker, said she will always remember his smile.
'The smile that lit up the room when he walked into the classroom every morning. He truly did bring joy with him. That little rascal had my heart right from the start,' she wrote on Facebook.
'My heart, thoughts and prayers have been and are with his mother, little sister and the rest of his family. Love and prayers for his best buddies in my class who are already feeling the hole he has left in our class family and their lives.'
'He was the sweetest, smartest and kindest boy. One of the things I have held onto...his smile is making heaven a bit more brighter this morning,' she added.
The Daily Mail contacted the Catawba County Sheriff's Office for comment.