A 7-year-old Chicago boy drowned Thursday afternoon in Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana.
According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the boy was playing in waist-deep water when he went deeper around 4:50 p.m. near Riverwalk Beach in Portage, Indiana. According to a witness, the boy appeared to be caught in a current that drew him away from the shore.
A family member entered the water to try to save him, but they became entangled in the current and lost sight of the boy.
Several agencies responded to the lake, removing the child from the water and beginning life-saving procedures.
He was taken to Northwest Health-Portage Hospital and later pronounced dead.
The Porter County Coroner’s Office has not yet released his identity, pending notification of his family.
The cause of death was determined by an autopsy to be accidental drowning.
According to Indiana officials, a beach hazard statement from the National Weather Service was in effect at the time of the drowning.
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