NEED TO KNOW
- A 5-year-old boy went missing from his family’s vacation rental house on Tuesday, July 15
- After 10 minutes had passed, he was discovered drowning in Chatuge Lake by a family member
- Although his family member rescued him from the water, the boy died after the rescue efforts
A 5-year-old boy died after being pulled from a lake in Towns County, Ga. on Tuesday, July 15, according to a Towns County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) Wednesday, July 16 news release.
Around 12:30 p.m. local time, authorities responded to a call that the boy, who has not been publicly identified, was missing for about 10 minutes from a residence on Stonecrest Circle in Hiawassee, Ga. Towns County Coroner Tamela Cooper said the residence was a rental home where the family was staying for vacation, per Local 11.
During the 10 minutes he was unaccounted for, the child “fell into the lake and was unable to pull himself out,” Cooper said. Upon arrival, authorities discovered that a family member had removed the child from Chatuge Lake.
“Deputies immediately began CPR along with fire personnel who had also arrived on the scene,” per the TCSO news release. The boy was transported to Chatuge Regional Hospital, where he later died.
“EMS, Chatuge Regional Hospital, and the Town’s County Sheriff’s office gave it their all,” Cooper said, per Local 11. “They threw everything they had into saving him, but in the end, he was just down too long.”
The drowning was ruled accidental.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Representatives for the Towns County Sheriff’s Office and the Towns County Coroner’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Wednesday.