A mother and her twin baby boys were found dead inside a car submerged in an east Georgia lake on Friday.
Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen identified the victims as Shaquia Philpot, 25, of the 4100 blk of Pinnacle Pines Court in Hephzibah and twin 10-month-olds Cassius and Caysen Williams.
The car was found by someone who was attempting to fish in the area.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the sheriff’s officers, along with the Augusta fire department arrived on the scene at Mayors Pond around 4:50pm.
The crew lifted the car out of the water at 1836 Lock and Dam Road, finding the victims.
According to Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen, all the three victims were pronounced dead at the scene at 8pm.
The investigations will be under the coroner’s office and the sheriff’s office criminal investigations division.
The bodies of the three victims have been sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s lab for autopsy, which is scheduled this week.
It is still unclear as to how long the bodies were in the water, and if a foul play was involved.
Myrtis Wright Bennett, children’s grandmother, confirmed their deaths on Facebook and said that ShaQuia, Caysen and Cassius have “gained their wings.”
“The Lord only loan my daughter ShaQuia Philpot to me for 25 years my twins grandson Cassius and Caysen William for 10 months,” she wrote.
“Lord I didn’t know that you was going to call them home July 24, 2020. RIH.”
Bennett expressed how devastated she is upon losing her daughter and the twins.
“My joy was to come home from work to see them with a big smile on there face. We all loved y’all but God loves y’all more. This is so hard to believe,” she said.
“’But I know we can’t question God.”