Drowning in Aitkin County
On Sunday March 12th at 1:36 pm the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Department received a call of a six year old boy who had fallen though the ice. The location was next to a dock on a small lake, in an area that was normally used as an ice skating rink, but was covered with snow. The boy was removed from the waist deep water by a family member, was not breathing, and CPR was started.
Multiple agencies were dispatched to the rural McGrath location and lifesaving efforts were continued. Approximately 14” of fresh snow compounded response problems, and a snowmobile was needed to transport the boy to an ambulance waiting on a navigable road. Lifesaving efforts were continued until after 4:00 pm when the boy was pronounced dead in the emergency room.
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed the cause of death as freshwater drowning.
The name of the child will not be released until family notification is completed.