During the rescue of an 8-year-old near a Kenosha beach, a 5-year-old went missing in the water and later died

Hannah Kirby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·2 min read
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During the rescue of an 8-year-old from the water near Kenosha's Pennoyer Beach Park, a 5-year-old went missing in the water and later died, according to the Kenosha Police Department.

Shortly before 6 p.m. Tuesday, Kenosha Fire and Police Departments responded to Pennoyer Beach Park near Kenosha’s Bandshell for a report of an 8-year-old child struggling in the water, police said.

The 8-year-old child was pulled to safety, taken to a hospital and is OK, according to police.

During the rescue operation, a 5-year-old from the same group went missing, police said. The search was focused on the Pike Creek River outlet to Lake Michigan.

The United States Coast Guard was launched and the Kenosha County dive teams were summoned, police said.

A citizen volunteered his drone to help with the search. After about 15 minutes of searching, the drone located the 5-year-old about 50 feet from shore, police said.

The 5-year-old was pulled from the water, taken to the hospital and died, according to police.

The death investigation remains open with the Kenosha Police Department.

Details of the investigation are not being shared at this time, including the identities of those involved, police said.

If people need assistance dealing with this tragedy or information on how to talk to their kids about it, Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian said to contact Kenosha's Mental Health Resource Center at 262-764-8555.

“I offer my sympathy and prayers to the family," Antaramian said in a news release from the Police Department. "This tragic death is a reminder of the ever-changing flow of the Pike River into Lake Michigan and the dangerous undercurrent of the lake."

The city applied for a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to look for solutions, he said.

Contact Hannah Kirby at hannah.kirby@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HannahHopeKirby.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 5-year-old drowns near Kenosha's Pennoyer Beach Park