Daniel Lee Neal Jr. of 66 Hoot Owl Rd., Hurdle Mills died Monday evening at Person Memorial Hospital, shortly after collapsing on a playground at Oak Lane just after 5 p.m. Neal was a first grade student at the school.

The child was reportedly on the playground at the school as part of the school’s after-school daycare program.

Person County Sheriff Dewey Jones said that although Neal was “in the playground area, he was not near the playground equipment.

“There was no sign of any trauma,” Jones said Tuesday morning. “There was no indication whatsoever that this was associated with any type of fall.”

The preliminary autopsy report also gave that indication Tuesday afternoon, according to Jones.

“There were no signs of trauma and no obvious indication of any type of sickness such as cancer,” Jones said. “The medical examiner has a speculation, but they are not comfortable in releasing that right now, but they did say that it was nothing dealing with trauma related to a fall.”

Jones said the final autopsy report might not be complete for “three to four weeks.”

Among Neal’s survivors are his parents, Erin Walker of Hurdle Mills and Daniel Lee Neal of Warrenton.

Person County Schools Supt. Dr. Larry W. Cartner said, “First and foremost, our heart goes out to the family, and next we look to our own remaining students and staff” at Oak Lane.

“While this is a tremendous tragedy and loss,” Cartner said, “the folks at Oak Lane have been absolutely outstanding at supporting the Neal family and each other.”

He said the Oak Lane staff and students were “dealing as well as anyone could” with the horrible loss.

“I commend these folks,” he said of Oak Lane staff, “for taking care of the kids, each other and the Neal family.”

The loss of a child, Cartner said, “is difficult at any time, but especially at this time of year and when there is no medical history” that would have given any warning that something was wrong.

A funeral for Neal is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday at Brooks & White Funeral Home. Visitation will be at the funeral home tonight, beginning at 7 p.m.

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C-T Staff Writer Phyliss Boatwright contributed to this story.