LAKE IN THE HILLS, IL — A 7-year-old child died Wednesday evening after being found unresponsive in a retention pond in a Lake in the Hills neighborhood, authorities said.
Lake in the Hills police responded shortly before 6 p.m. on Wednesday to the 0 to 100 block of Steeplechase Way for a report of a missing child. The child had last been seen by family members a short time earlier, according to a news release.
During the search, an officer found the child in a nearby retention pond and immediately began life-saving efforts after removing the child from the water, according to a news release from the police department.
Paramedics from the Huntley Fire Protection District arrived minutes later and continued resuscitation efforts before transporting the child to Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital, where the child was later pronounced dead.
The Lake in the Hills Police Department is investigating the incident in coordination with the McHenry County Coroner’s Office.
Officials said foul play is not suspected.
The incident in Lake in the Hills comes days after an 8-year-old child died in a drowning incident Thursday night in Wheeling, according to police. Wheeling police said officers were dispatched at about 8:20 p.m. to the 1600 block of Ottawa Court for a report of a missing child, who was later identified as Vyom Joshi, entered a pond behind homes in the area.
Family members had been actively searching for the child when a neighbor told responding police officers and fire department personnel that they had heard a loud splash coming from the pond shortly before the child was reported missing, according to police.
Officers and fire department personnel immediately began a coordinated search of the area, police said.
During the search, the child was found unresponsive in the water and recovered by rescue personnel.
The child was taken to a local hospital, where the child was later pronounced dead, according to police.
The incident remains under investigation. Police said investigators have found no evidence to suggest foul play.
“Our hearts go out to the child's family, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss,” Wheeling Police Chief Joseph Kopec said in a statement. “This is a devastating incident for our entire community, and we ask that everyone keep the family in their thoughts during this difficult time.”
Patch has reported on several recent cases involving people found in ponds or other bodies of water, including both drowning incidents involving children and separate cases involving adults found in the bodies of water. Authorities have not indicated the cases are connected.
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