COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — What began as a joyful Fourth of July outing on Lake Murray ended in heartbreak for the Carr family, whose 12-year-old son, Jaysen, died two weeks later from a rare brain-eating amoeba that entered his body through his nose.
Jaysen Carr spent the holiday swimming, tubing, and boating with family and friends on the popular lake just outside Columbia. On July 18, after a week-long battle, he died from a brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, a microscopic organism that thrives in warm freshwater and can be deadly if inhaled through the nose.
His parents had never heard of the amoeba until doctors delivered the devastating diagnosis — in tears — after what initially seemed like an ordinary headache suddenly became life-threatening.
“We didn’t even know it was in that lake,” said Jaysen’s father, Clarence Carr. “Now, we don’t have our son. That reality doesn’t sit well. And we’re terrified it will happen to someone else.”
Jaysen’s death is one of just 167 such cases reported in the U.S. since 1962, with only four known survivors, according to the CDC.
No Warnings, No Testing, No Closure
Adding to their grief, the Carrs learned that South Carolina — like most states — does not require health officials to publicly report cases or deaths from Naegleria fowleri. No warnings were posted at Lake Murray. The water was never tested. The lake remained open.
“If we hadn’t spoken up, no one would have even known what happened,” said Clarence Carr. “There’s no system to warn the next family.”
The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services said in a statement that Naegleria fowleri is naturally occurring in warm freshwater and that there’s currently no science-based threshold for determining when water is “unsafe.” Because the infection is extremely rare and difficult to trace, routine testing isn’t done.
From Celebration to Crisis
Jaysen was an energetic middle schooler — smart, social, athletic. He played football, baseball, and multiple instruments in the school band. He loved people. After the July 4 weekend on the lake, he told his parents, “That was the best Fourth of July I’ve ever had.”
A few days later, he complained of a headache. It quickly escalated. He became nauseous, confused, and lethargic. Despite early visits to the ER, doctors could not stop the infection once it took hold in his brain.
The amoeba likely entered through Jaysen’s nose during a dive or jump into the lake, traveling along his olfactory nerve and causing primary amebic meningoencephalitis — an infection that destroys brain tissue and is almost always fatal.
Rare But Devastating
While cases remain rare — typically fewer than 10 per year nationwide — the amoeba thrives in freshwater above 77°F and has been found increasingly in northern states like Indiana, Minnesota, and Maryland. It can also exist in hot springs, rivers, or even contaminated tap water.
The CDC says one infection doesn’t make future infections more likely in the same body of water. The amoeba isn’t contagious between people.
Children, particularly boys, appear to be most affected — possibly because they’re more likely to dive or stir up sediment, where the amoeba may be more concentrated.
Health officials advise swimmers to use nose clips, avoid jumping into warm freshwater, or better yet, keep their head above water.
A Call for Awareness
In the ICU, Clarence Carr couldn’t stop thinking about the dozens of other families who might be swimming in Lake Murray without any idea of the hidden danger.
“There are whole families out there having fun on pontoon boats, just like we were,” he said. “And they have no clue that those moments could be their last.”
Now, as they mourn their son, the Carrs are demanding change. They want better warnings, more public education, and a system that ensures other parents don’t find out about Naegleria fowleri only after it’s too late.
“He was just being a kid,” Clarence Carr said. “And for that, we lost him.”
