A family in Jackson County is mourning the death of a 5-year-old boy after he drowned in Vineyard Lake Monday.
Columbia Township police say they got a call for a possible drowning at Oakwood Beach around 4pm. Several agencies and marine units responded and started searching for the boy.
Witnesses and family told police the 5-year-old had waded out from shore towards a boat where a relative of the boy was at. The relative saw him coming out towards deeper water and verbally instructed him to return to shore. He continued wading out, and when the relative saw him go under, she jumped in to attempt to save him, but immediately lost sight of him in the water.
Multiple dive team units and members were on the water in boats, and diving, a short time after being dispatched. Firefighters also entered the water, forming a line to search for the victim.
At approximately 6:30 P.M., divers from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department Marine Patrol located the victim in approximately 15 feet of water. Medical personnel on scene made a determination to attempt life-saving measures, and the victim was transported to Henry Ford Allegiance by JCA ambulance, where he died a short time later.
Assisting at the scene was the Jackson County Sheriff and Undersheriff (and deputies), dive teams from both the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Department, Columbia Township Fire Department, Cambridge Township Fire Department, Department of Natural Resources officers, and the Promedica helicopter from Toledo.
The victim is not being identified at this time. The family resides in Columbia Township.
