Boy, 6, drowns after wandering away from family reunion at Belle Isle Park
A 6-year-old boy is dead after drowning in a river at Belle Isle Park on Saturday night, according to Michigan State Police.
Multiple children, including the boy, were playing at the park during a family reunion. At one point, he wandered off from the other kids, police said.
Family members started searching for the boy and called 911 after noticing he was missing, police said.
The boy was found in the river near where the family reunion was taking place, around 30 minutes after he went missing.
Officials with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Michigan State Police attempted life-saving measures before the boy was taken to the hospital, where he later died.
"Our heart goes out to this little boy's family and also the first responders and community members on scene who did everything they could to try and save this child's life," MSP First Lieutenant Mike Shaw said in a written statement on Sunday morning.
Police are using the incident to remind people about the importance of water safety.
"There's a misconception out there that drownings are like on TV, where you see somebody struggling and yelling for help and all that. And most drownings are actually pretty fast and pretty silent, where it happens so quickly. So we just remind parents, keep those kids, you know, within arm's reach, especially if you're near water," Shaw said.
