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Chicago Heights boy, 12, drowns at Marquette Beach in Gary

Updated  July 9, 2020 10:05pm CDT
Gary
Sun-Times Media Wire

Boy, 12, drowns at Marquette Beach in Gary

A boy’s body was pulled from Lake Michigan Thursday after he drowned at Marquette Beach in Gary, Indiana.

GARY, Ind. - A 12-year-old boy’s body was pulled from Lake Michigan Thursday after he drowned at Marquette Beach in Gary, Indiana.

He was wading with his family in chest-deep water about 5:15 p.m. when he accidentally stepped into deeper water and went under, according to statement from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Marine units and divers from multiple agencies were sent into the lake and recovered his body just over an hour later.

The Lake County coroner’s office identified the boy as Jerail Lee Jr., of Chicago Heights. The coroner’s office initially said he was from Glenwood.

Indiana conservation officers are investigating with the Gary Police Department and the coroner’s office.