News Release (August 5, 2012)
Madison County Sheriff Ben Stewart confirms that on Saturday evening the 4th day of August 2012 at approximately 8:30 PM, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a 911 call for an immediate response to a possible accidental drowning.

Sheriff’s Office personnel, Hamburg and Greenville Volunteer Fire and Rescue and Madison County EMS as well as other volunteers in the immediate area responded. The scene was located at 1806 NE Reaper church road in Greenville Florida.

Preliminary investigation indicates that two juvenile grandsons were recreating in a family pond when the grandfather, James Cornell Bellamy (DOB: 08/26/1950) recognized the grandsons were in distress. The grandfather was able to assist one of the grandsons to the bank of the pond and while attempting to rescue the second grandson his heroic efforts failed as he himself became subdued in the water with the second grandson.

Madison County Sheriff’s Office dive team member Sgt. Dennis Pitts responded to the scene and was able to locate and recover both, James Cornell Bellamy and the grandson in the area of the pond where they were last seen at approximately 10:30 PM. The investigation remains’ pending the final medical examiners report and has all indications of a tragic accidental drowning.

The age of the juvenile victim of the accidental drowning was 8 years of age.