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Mount Airy resident urges grates and inspections after 13-year-old drowns in storm pipe
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Summary
A Mount Airy resident told the town council her 13-year-old nephew, Mason Kearns, drowned after being swept into an ungrated drainage pipe. The mayor said staff will inspect town drains and assist property owners to remediate hazardous pipes; residents and the council pressed for a formal accident review and safety fixes.
Lisonbee Eggleston, the aunt of 13-year-old Mason Kearns, told the Mount Airy Town Council that her nephew was swept into an ungrated concrete drainage pipe at the Mount Airy Apartments last week and drowned within moments.
"Mason didn't know this," Eggleston said in a public comment, describing the drain as appearing to be part of the grassy play area and asking why a pipe that could fit a small adult was left without a sturdy grate. She cited national reporting and safety guidance and urged the town to act so "this town is responsible for finding out who failed Mason" and to prevent another child from dying in the same way.
Mayor Hochauer thanked emergency responders, visiting officials and town staff and said the council had directed staff "to look at every drainage pipe in the town for similar hazards that must be remediated." The mayor also said the town will assist property owners where pipes on private land create a public safety risk.
Council member Steven Demoter called for a formal accident-investigation process that would document an event timeline, notifications, emergency response composition and the pond or pipe design features that contributed to the incident. "The objective is to find out what happened, why did it happen, and what can be done so this never happens again," he said.
Eggleston referenced national data to underscore the risk: she cited a ProPublica review and NIOSH recommendations for identifying, marking and covering drainage pipes and urged the council to adopt sloped grates and other mitigations. In public comment she said that horizontal drain inlets in Watkins Park and elsewhere in town are open and could allow children to enter.
The council did not adopt a specific ordinance at the meeting, but the mayor's statement that staff were directed to inspect drains and the council discussion endorsing a formal investigation mark immediate next steps. Council members also thanked volunteer fire, police and other agencies for their response during the incident.
The town has not yet produced a public timeline of the investigation or a schedule for completing the inspections; Eggleston asked the council to hold parties accountable and to report back on corrective actions.
