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Woman dies days after trying to save granddaughter from drowning, Troup County deputies say

Stephanie Walker died Friday, nearly a week after her 13-year-old granddaughter drowned in West Point Lake, authorities say.

TROUP COUNTY, Ga. — A 49-year-old woman who tried to save her granddaughter from drowning earlier this month has passed away in the hospital, the Troup County Sheriff's Office said.

Stephanie Walker was listed as critical in the hospital on June 11, according to her family, after she tried to save her 13-year-old granddaughter from drowning in West Point Lake. She died in the hospital Friday, the sheriff's office said.

Authorities said they found Walker unresponsive in the lake near Lower Glass Bridge Road not long after 2 p.m. They recovered Makayla Prather's body later that night.

Deputies at the time described the circumstances as "a tragic accident."

RELATED: Family tragedy | Woman mourns loss of daughter who drowned as her own mother remains in hospital

Walker was taken to Well Star West Georgia Medical Center and was hospitalized in the ICU for nearly a week. She never recovered, authorities said.

“My mom can’t swim. So, the fact that if she jumped in the water, trying to save my daughter, I know she was brave," Walker's daughter, Shawanda Prather previously said.

Shawanda originally told 11Alive Walker's kidneys are shutting down and the family said she was "brain dead" and were preparing to decide to take her off life support.

An online fundraiser has already been set up for the teen's funeral expenses. The family is now grieving the loss of another loved one.

 

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