Clarendon County Sheriff Randy Garrett said an accident likely led to a 6-year-old boy being set on fire at an Alcolu home early Sunday afternoon.
The boy, who received second-degree burns on his back, was playing with another child, who allegedly squirted the victim with lighter fluid about 2 p.m. Sunday.
"They got ahold of some lighter fluid, and it got on the 6 year old," Garrett said. "The other boy's father was out there working, he's a mechanic, and he was working with his grinders, and a spark ignited the victim."
The father, Garrett said, grabbed the victim - not his son - and placed him in a nearby mud puddle, putting out the blaze.
"The child first hit the ground trying to stop, drop and roll," Garrett said.
Garrett said deputies are unsure what made the children grab lighter fluid. He believes the children were initally squirting each other with water.
"They had been playing with water before it all started," Garrett said.
The child was treated at the Augusta Burn Center in Georgia and released to the care of his mother.
Garrett saod that her son had skin grafts, and the mother she has been giving him Benadryl for itching related to the surgeries and burn injuries.
"The cops didn't find out about it until sometime Sunday evening," she said. "Neither I nor EMS were informed initially. I don't know who called the police. I was already in Augusta, Georgia, because they had to fly him out."
Garrett said while the incident is still under investigation, he believes it was "absolutely" an accident.
"So far in our investigation, nothing indicates that it was intentional," Garrett said.
