A father and his adult son died Saturday after one tried to save the other at Boaters Beach in Burns Harbor, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
The deceased were identified as 65-year-old David Meneou, of Joliet, Illinois, and 20-year-old Jameson Meneou, of Lockport, Illinois, according to a release from the Porter County Coroner’s Office.
Around 4:20 p.m., DNR Conservation Officer Alex Neel said officers were dispatched to an active water rescue at Boaters Beach on Lake Michigan near Burns Harbor. Boaters Beach, located next to the old Bailly Generating Station, is in a remote part of the Indiana Dunes National Park that required first responders to use off-road vehicles and a patrol boat to reach it.
Preliminary investigation showed that both men were in the water when Jameson Meneou went into deeper water and began to struggle, according to a DNR news release. At that point, David Meneou tried to rescue his son but also began to struggle in the deep water.
A Good Samaritan removed the men from the water before the arrival of Conservation Officers and National Park Rangers, who transported the men via boat to the Port of Indiana while performing CPR, the release stated. An ambulance then took them to the Northwest Health Valparaiso Emergency Room, where they were pronounced dead at around 6:16 p.m.
Portage Fire Department, Portage Dive Team, Portage Emergency Medical Services, the Porter Volunteer Fire Department, and an off-duty Portage police officer also responded to the scene.
