Missing girl, 3, dies after being found in NW Indiana lake

LONG BEACH, Ind. (AP) - A 3-year-old girl who went missing in a northwest Indiana community died after she was found hours later along a small lake's shoreline, police said.

The girl, who had autism and was nonverbal, died Thursday despite an hourslong effort to revive her, said Michigan City Police Department Sgt. Steve Forker.

She had been reported missing at 11:30 a.m. Thursday and was last seen wearing a T-shirt and diaper, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported.

Officers from multiple police agencies who conducted a search found her two hours later in the water along the north shoreline of Clare Lake in Long Beach, a LaPorte County community that overlooks Lake Michigan about 40 miles (64.4 kilometers) east of Chicago.

Authorities have not released the girl's name, who was pronounced dead at a Michigan City hospital.

Police were continuing to investigate the incident and speak with witnesses. They were also seeking video surveillance from the area.