SYRACUSE – A 13-year-old autistic boy drowned in Lake Wawasee over the weekend, according to a news release from the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department.
Christopher Dixon, 13, Elkhart, was pronounced dead at the scene after being found in the water about a half hour after being reported missing by his parents.
The child was unresponsive when his parents found him. First responders attempted CPR but were unsuccessful in reviving the teenager.
The incident began Friday about 11:55 p.m. when Sandy Dixon reported her son missing at 10768 N.?Southshore Drive, Syracuse.
The Elkhart family have a summer home at the Syracuse address, according to conservation officer Matthew Maher.
After calling 911, Sandy enlisted her husband to help find the missing boy. After 30 minutes of searching, the husband found the boy underwater by a pier near the residence, Maher said.
Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, Syracuse Police Department, Syracuse–Turkey Creek Fire Department and Indiana State Police responded to the scene.
The drowning is still under investigation by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
