Infant Drowns In River Tubing Accident

Somerset, WI
Pioneer Planet • Twin Cities.com
August 21, 2001

A one-year-old girl drowned Monday in western Wisconsin after falling from the arms of her father as he floated down the Apple River in an inner tube.

The Somerset Police Department received an emergency call about 3 p.m. reporting a missing person in the rapids area of the Apple River, which is a popular recreational spot for tubing about 30 miles east of the Twin Cities.

After police arrived at the scene, the child's family members reported that the girl had fallen out of her father's arms and had been missing for about 15 minutes.

The child was not wearing a life jacket, authorities said.

Somerset police and fire officials began a search and notified tubing parks downriver of the water accident.

At 3:22 p.m., an employee of the Apple River Campground reported a possible sighting of the girl about a quarter mile from the scene of the accident.

At 3:25 p.m., Somerset police said, an officer found the infant floating in the river.

The officer, employees of the Float-Rite water park and ambulance personnel performed rescue efforts at the scene before the girl was flown by helicopter to Regions Hospital in St. Paul. However, she was pronounced dead at 4:30 p.m.

Regions identified the child as Ananya Ramgopal, but no hometown was available late Monday.

Somerset police are investigating the drowning.