Child dies in Lieber accident

Monday, July 3, 2006

A Brownsburg boy died from injuries he received in a boating accident at Lieber State Recreation Area on Saturday afternoon.

According to Conservation Officer Lt. Kent Hutchins, Zachary Hilgemeier, 5, was riding on an inflatable tube with another child as they were being pulled by a pontoon boat operated by his mother on Cataract Lake.

"It is believed that as the pontoon boat crossed in front of a 19-foot Caravelle ski boat also pulling a tube, the victim fell off of his tube in the rough water and was struck by the Caravelle," Hutchins said.

The boy was injured when he was struck in the side and lower back area by the propeller or other part of the ski boat.

Cloverdale Township Fire Chief Kerry Shepherd said that upon firefighters' arrival, CPR had been initiated by the victim's mother, who is a trauma nurse at Wishard Memorial Hospital, and by a companion.

The victim was transported from the scene to Wishard via Air Evac. He was pronounced dead at 6:30 p.m.

Assisting at the scene were Putnam County Sheriff's Department, Cloverdale Police Department and Operation Life.

An autopsy on the child will be conducted Monday in Marion County.

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