Kedan Gregory Seagraves is remembered by his Pre-K instructor Sandy Underwood as a "real happy little boy who was very good with letter games and enjoyed playing outside."

The 4-year-old Herrin youngster was pronounced dead at 2:07 p.m. Monday outside his Chittyville Road home north of Herrin by Williamson County Coroner Michael Burke. The boy is believed to have drowned in a strip cut or pond near his house.

Strip ponds are former strip coal mines that are now filled with water. Some have a shaky, crumbling vertical highwall near the edge where swimmers can jump in, while others have an edge that gradually slopes into the water much like a beach does. Some strip ponds can reach 60 feet deep or more in spots.

Burke said it appears the boy fell into the strip cut. An autopsy was performed late Tuesday afternoon in Evansville, Ind., and the incident is under investigation by the Williamson County Sheriff's Department and the coroner's office.

Underwood, who teaches pre-kindergarten classes through the Williamson County Early Childhood Cooperative, said Seagraves "absolutely loved" climbing the slides at the Northside School playground and would often "stick his head out every window" of a playhouse.

"It was a joy following him around the playground; this is a real loss for all of us," Underwood said.

Sheriff Tom Cundiff said the drowning was simply a freak accident.

"It just takes a second for something bad to happen," he said. "And in 60 seconds, a 4 year old can go a long way."

Cundiff said the boy was found about 100 yards from his house by his father.

"When something like this happens, it can cause a man to change the way he looks at life. About the only advice I can give to parents with young children is to keep an eye on them the best you can. This boy's parents - Gregory and Sandra (Knusta) - are two caring people. It's tragic that these kinds of things happen."