PIERCE COUNTY, WA —A holiday at the lake turned into tragedy for a family whose two teenage son's drowned Sunday afternoon in Spanaway Lake.
According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, two brothers, 14 and 15, were playing in a swim area when one of the boys went under and didn't come back up. His brother died trying to save him.
“One of them went under the water. The other one started screaming. The second child swam out and tried to find his brother and then he never came up,” Sgt. Jake Gregor with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office told KIRO7.
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Rescue crews quickly pulled the boys from the water, but it was too late. They were pronounced dead at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital.
“Neither of the boys were strong swimmers. They did not have life jackets on. They did have a floatation toy with them, which I think the second boy abandoned when he went to dive down to find his brother,” Greger told Q13FOX.
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The lake can be murky with milfoil growing on the bottom, making it possible for swimmers to get stuck, said one bystander.
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