Officials investigating drowning at Lake Pleasant

PHOENIX — Officials from Maricopa County and the City of Peoria are investigating the circumstances of a drowning Friday afternoon.

A 15-year-old girl apparently drowned in Lake Pleasant while swimming with her two younger siblings, who almost drowned as well.

“They went into the water, they went under the water, and then according to witnesses they never came back up,” Amanda Jacinto with the Peoria Fire Department said.

Jacinto said some of those witnesses ran into the water to help the three children, one of whom was found almost five feet below the surface, and were able to pull the two younger ones from the water.

Witnesses searched for the third and oldest child, but were unsuccessful.
A short time later, members of an MCSO dive team recovered the body of the 15-year-old, who was discovered not far from where the three girls went under the water.

The two surviving girls were taken to a local hospital and are in stable condition.

Jacinto said this is yet another reminder about always watching children around water.

“No matter if the kids are in a group or not, we always have to be vigilant,” Jacinto said. “It’s a long weekend; everyone is out enjoying the outdoors right now, so we ask everybody to please pay attention to kids around water.”