UNION COUNTY, Fla. – A 4-year-old girl drowned in Lake Butler Thursday afternoon, according to the Union County Sheriff's Office.
Just after 4 p.m., deputies were called to search for a 4-year-old girl who disappeared while playing with friends and family near the concrete swimming dock just north of Lakeside Park.The Sheriff's Office said the area of water is designated as a "swim at your own risk" zone.
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The family told police the girl had been missing for about 10 minutes, but authorities believe it was probably longer.
"We just felt compelled to get in there and search that area as quick as possible. And we had a lot of the members of the community get in with us," Union County Sheriff Brad Whitehead said.
Whitehead said 15 minutes after they arrived, one of the deputies found the girl in the water and rushed her to Union County Rescue units, who were on standby at the water's edge. The rescue crew tried to resuscitate the girl, but was unsuccessful, the Sheriff's Office said.
"It's sad. It's really bruised our community. And it was a very large family and a very good family, just a lot of good folks. It's very sad," Whitehead said.
Additional search units from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Columbia County Sheriff's Office were called to assist in the investigation.
The Florida Department of Children and Families is conducting a separate investigation. A DCF spokesman said it is routine whenever a child drowns to look at whether there was a lapse of supervision. Drowning is the most common cause of death for children in Florida, according to DCF.
Melanie Griggs said it's terrible to think that the 4-year-old drowned in the same area at Lakeside Park in which her three young children play.
"It was really a loss," Griggs said.
Griggs said it's easy for children to get lost in the shuffle, especially when there are dozens of people in the water.
"I just keep them close to me. If I'm not sitting right here at the edge, I'm out there with them, especially my daughter," Griggs said. "I've been teaching them to swim for a while and it just pushes me to want to have them swim even more."
The community has created a memorial next to the area where the girl drowned.