A 12-year-old boy died last week in South Carolina from a rare brain-eating amoeba he contracted after swimming in a local reservoir, a lawyer for the boy’s family said in a statement on Thursday.

Following last week’s tragic death of a 12-year-old boy from a rare amoeba infection that his family said originated from Lake Murray, some members of the public are worried about the lake’s safety.

"Unfortunately, more than 97% of people with PAM (primary amebic meningoencephalitis) have died from the infection ," read the CDC's website.