8-year-old Aurora boy drowns at state park

An 8-year-old Aurora boy drowned Sunday after being swept away in a current at the Apple River Canyon State Park in northwestern Illinois, according to authorities.

Julian Alcantar was walking in the Apple River with relatives late Sunday afternoon, when he walked into an area of deep water and was taken by a strong current, according to the Jo Daviess County sheriff’s department.

Authorities said the boy’s family lost sight of him in the current and called 911 at 4:21 p.m.

Dozens of emergency responders searched for the boy, but his body was not found until about 10:45 p.m. Sunday in the Apple River, according to the Jo Daviess County coroner’s office.

The coroner’s office ruled the death as an accidental drowning.

The state park is about 120 miles northwest of Aurora near the Wisconsin border.

Ÿ Daily Herald wire services contributed to this report.