9-year-old dies after falling into water at Alton marina

A 9-year-old boy died after being pulled from the Alton Marina on Monday evening by emergency responders.

The child was under the pitch black water for several minutes at the Alton Marina public boat launch just under the Clark Bridge, according to an Alton Telegraph report. Crews arrived within minutes of receiving the call.

Fire Chief Bernie Sebold told the Alton Telegraph rescuers were dispatched at 4:48 p.m. Monday. They were told the boy was in the water and could not swim.

Sebold said he and five firefighters responded to the scene, as well as a police officer who arrived first and jumped into the water to look for the boy.

Crews found the boy submerged in the approximately 10-foot deep water after several minutes of searching, The Alton Telegraph reported.

Rescuers rushed the boy to an ambulance and then to OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton where he died, the paper reported. It was not immediately clear how long the young boy had been underwater.

Police and fire officials did not immediately calls for comment.

In September, a Wood River man fell into the Alton Marina and died after being under water for at least 10 minutes.

This story was originally published July 24, 2018 at 12:46 PM.