A swimmer died in a Lake Michigan boating accident Monday in Portage, Portage Fire Chief Chris Crail said.
The swimmer was off a boat, Crail said.
Rescue personnel were spotted outside the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Monday afternoon.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is leading the investigation and a representative from the Porter County Coroner’s Office was on the scene Monday afternoon.
The Portage Fire Department recently ordered an inflatable boat for its water rescue team, a purchase made urgent because the team’s 24-foot fire boat is being refurbished by a U.S. Coast Guard grant. The inflatable boat and its motors were shipped but haven’t arrived yet, Crail said.
The Portage Port Authority purchased the inflatable boat. Both boats will be based at the Portage Marina.
Other agencies that responded include the Porter, Burns Harbor, Crown Point, Merrillville and Hobart fire departments; Coast Guard, Lake County Sheriff’s Department and Porter County Central Communications.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
