7-year-old boy dies trying to help friend at Michigan lake

Authorities say a 7-year-old boy has died trying to help an 11-year-old friend who struggled while swimming in a lake in western Michigan.

The Ottawa County sheriff’s department says a dive team found the boy, identified as Natanael Escobar, in Crockery Lake in Chester Township on Sunday evening. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities say the child was on a church outing and was in a swimming area at Grose Park with the 11-year-old boy when the older child started struggling. Sgt. Jay Douglas tells The Grand Rapids Press that Natanael tried to help the older boy, but the 7-year-old didn’t make it out of the water.

An 8-year-old also was with them at the time. Crews searched for more than an hour before finding the missing boy.  (AP)