Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating the drowning death of a 7-year-old Chicago boy that occurred at a Portage beach on Thursday afternoon.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ Law Enforcement Division announced the death in a Friday press release.
Around 4:50 p.m. Thursday, Porter County 911 Center received a call reporting that a child had gone missing in Lake Michigan near the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Beach. Personnel from multiple agencies, including the Indiana Dunes National Park rangers as well as police and fire personnel from Portage and Ogden Dunes, arrived at the beach shortly after. First responders located the child in the water near Ogden Dunes about 20 minutes after receiving the call, the release states.
The boy was brought to the shore, where he was given medical attention in a waiting ambulance. He was transported to Northwest Health–Portage hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
An autopsy completed Friday morning identified the cause of death as an accidental drowning.
According to the press release, the boy was playing in waist-deep water but strayed into a deeper area where being he was caught in a current that pulled him away from shore. A family member attempted to rescue him but lost sight of the boy after also being caught in a current.
Authorities have not yet released the boy’s name, citing the need to notify family members ahead of a public announcement.