Child dies after being found in Colon stream

Sheriff Chad Spence reports that in the early hours of Tuesday, March 31, 2026, deputies responded to the 400 block of North Swan Street in Colon for a report of a missing 5-year-old child. A search was conducted, and the child was located unconscious in a stream between Palmer Lake and Sturgeon Lake within the Village of Colon. Lifesaving measures were initiated at the scene, and the child was transported to Three Rivers Health, where he was later pronounced deceased. This incident remains under active investigation.

Deputies were assisted by St. Joseph County Dive Rescue, St. Joseph County Victim Services, Michigan State Police, Branch County Sheriff’s Office, Colon Police Department, Coldwater Police Department, White Pigeon Police Department, Colon Township Fire and Rescue, Lifecare Ambulance Services, the Western Michigan University Office of the Medical Examiner, Sturgis Hospital, and Beacon Health.