Child drowns in South Dakota state park

PIERRE, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The Hughes County Sheriff’s Office responded to a drowning death at Farm Island State Park near Pierre late Saturday afternoon.

At around 5:20 p.m., 911 Communications Officers received a report of a missing three-year-old child last seen near the water’s edge at Farm Island.

Sheriff’s Deputies, Pierre Police, Game, Fish & Parks, and State Troopers immediately responded to the area.

The missing child’s family and nearby campers were already actively searching the area, and Pierre Fire Department Rescue and Dive Squads arrived with boats and divers to assist in the search.

At around 6 p.m., divers located the missing child’s body in the water approximately 20 feet from shore and in less than 4 feet of water. The victim was not wearing a life jacket.

The name of the victim is not being released. The family was camping at Farm Island in Pierre and visiting from La Plant, SD.

***Correction: an earlier version of this story said a boy had drowned. It has not been revealed if the victim was a boy or girl.

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