On Saturday officials at Holland State Park in Michigan responded to two separate incidents that involved missing children. In both instances, it was feared that both people, age 6 and 17, had drowned.
By Monday morning, emergency crews had found the bodies of both.
Foul play was not suspected in either incident, but autopsies would be conducted.
According to WOOD TV, Iain Rowe, 6, was last seen Saturday in waist deep water in Lake Michigan. When a search for the boy broke out, crew looked for him on both land and in the water.
At the same time, emergency crews were also searching for 17-year-old Christian Ngabo. According to witnesses, Ngabo and his 19-year-old brother were swimming when they began to struggle.
The 19-year-old was able to make it back to shore after witnesses threw him a flotation device, but his younger brother continued to struggle 40-50 yards away from the shoreline.
At the time waves were approximately 4-6 feet and there was a rip current.
Officials continued searching Saturday, but did not find anyone. They continued their efforts Sunday and around 7:15 p.m., crews found Rowe’s body.
On Monday, the search began again for Ngabo. After two hours, divers from Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team recovered the 17-year-old’s body.
Neither deaths were considered to have occurred due to foul play, but investigators said their cases would remain open until autopsies were completed.
Such a tragedy for everyone involved. Please share and pray for the families of both children who had their lives taken way too soon.
