10-Year-Old Drowns In Pond In DeKalb

DEKALB, IL — A 10-year-old girl drowned Sunday night in a pond in DeKalb, according to authorities.

The DeKalb Fire Department responded at 6 p.m. to the 600 block of Ridge Drive and were told the girl was unaccounted for and had possibly gone under the water, authorities said.

Children flagged down arriving emergency personnel and told the first responders their friend was drowning, according to the department.

Police officers, crew members in water suits, and 18 rescue divers and support personnel took part in the search, which also included a fire department boat, drone operations and sonar technology, authorities said.

The girl was found about four hours after she disappeared, according to the department, which noted the pond’s murky and hard-to-navigate conditions.

Dozens of agencies from across the region assisted in the response.