Chicago boy, 7, drowns in Lake Michigan

PORTAGE, Ind. - A 7-year-old boy from Chicago drowned in Lake Michigan Thursday afternoon in Northwest Indiana.

The boy was playing in waist-deep water and went in deeper around 4:50 p.m. near Riverwalk Beach in Portage, Indiana, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. A witness told officials it appeared the boy was caught in a current that pulled him away from the shore.

A family member got in the water to try to rescue him but they also got caught in the current and lost sight of the boy.

Multiple agencies responded to the lake and removed the child from the water and began performing life-saving measures. He was transported to Northwest Health-Portage Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

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His identity has not yet been released by the Porter County Coroner's Office, pending notification of his family.

An autopsy determined the cause of death to be an accidental drowning.

A beach hazard statement from the National Weather Service was in effect at the time of the drowning, according to Indiana officials.