CONWAY — Preliminary autopsy results for a Conway man found dead in a pond Thursday afternoon indicate it was an apparent drowning, said Horry County Deputy Coroner Darris Fowler.

Fowler added there were no signs of trauma and toxicology results are still forthcoming.

“There may be some contributing factors,” he said.

The incident remains under investigation, but Sgt. Robert Kegler with Horry County police said there’s no indication to suggest anything but an accidental drowning at this time.

Lester Causey Jr., 44, was found in the pond on Oak Log Lake Road outside of Conway.

On Thursday, the death was ruled as suspicious and unattended, Kegler said. There was no indication of foul play and there weren’t any witnesses. Police weren’t working the case as a homicide.

Causey is from the Oak Log Lake Road area, but he does not live in the home adjacent to the pond where he was found at the intersection of Morgan Road.

Causey is a registered sex offender, according to the Horry County Sheriff’s office. He was convicted of third degree criminal sexual conduct with a 17-year-old victim in 2002 and was released from jail in 2003. He was charged for violating the sex offender registry once in 2004 and served about three months in jail, according to the sheriff’s office.

Police were called shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon. Detectives with the violent crimes division and dive team members responded. Causey was pulled from the pond at about 2:30 p.m.

Kegler said he didn’t know how long Causey had been there or who found his body.

Neighbors seemed shocked to see so many police cars on their street and said the neighborhood is typically quiet.

Oak Log Lake Road is off S.C. 905 near Old Reaves Ferry Road.

Contact BRAD DICKERSON at 626-0301.