A father and his son drowned in Lake Michigan over the weekend during what was supposed to be a fun boat outing.
The individuals who lost their lives have been named as David Meneou, 65, from Joliet, Illinois, and his son, Jameson Meneou, 20, from Lockport, Illinois, as per information from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).
Indiana conservation officers are conducting an investigation into the drowning incident that occurred following a distress call at around 4:20 p.m. on Sunday. The call reported an active water rescue situation on Lake Michigan near Dune Acres, Indiana.
Candace Keller Meneou, the mother of Jameson, shared with NBC 5 Chicago that the father and son had set out for a boating trip that day. They cherished boating together because, although Jameson was unable to operate a car, he was capable of piloting a boat, she explained to the news outlet.
An Illinois father and son drowned while swimming and boating in Lake Michigan on Sunday. (iStock)
At one point, they were playing catch when the ball was thrown too far into deep water and Jameson began to struggle.
“Playing catch with his dad was his favorite thing to do,” Keller Meneou told NBC 5, adding later that “David really loved his son.”
Indiana conservation officers are investigating the drowning after they responded to a call around 4:20 p.m. Sunday reporting an active water rescue on Lake Michigan near Dune Acres, Indiana. (iStock)
A preliminary investigation revealed that both father and son were in the lake when Jameson – who has autism, according to NBC 5 – went “into deep water and began to struggle.”
“David Meneou attempted to rescue his son but also began to struggle in the deep water,” IDNR said in a press release.
The father-son duo were playing a game of catch when tragedy struck. (iStock)
A good Samaritan had removed the two men from the water by the time officials arrived using off-road vehicles in the remote location. Conservation officers and National Park rangers transported the men via boat to the Port of Indiana while performing CPR, according to IDNR.
The two men were taken to a local hospital where they were pronounced deceased, and the investigation into their deaths remains ongoing.
