Overview

• On July 5, David Meneou, 65, and his son Jameson, 20, entered deep water near a Dune Acres sandbar while playing catch and both became stranded offshore.
• A Good Samaritan pulled them from the lake and conservation officers alongside National Park Service rangers performed CPR before the pair were pronounced dead at a local hospital.
• In a July 9 news release, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources detailed the rescue sequence and announced an ongoing investigation into environmental factors and response procedures.
• Water-safety experts warn that sudden drop-offs, rip currents and unsupervised sandbars have contributed to a rise in Lake Michigan drownings in recent years.
• Family members told local media that Jameson, who had autism, loved playing catch with his father and described David’s rescue attempt as an expression of their close bond.