(Portage, IN) - Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating a man drowning after electrocuted in a body of water leading to and from Lake Michigan.  The body of Gabriel Gonzalez, 21, of Hebron was recovered from Burns Waterway by divers in Portage after disappearing beneath the surface late Thursday morning.

 

According to DNR, Gonzalez entered the water to retrieve an undisclosed object belonging to a boat owner that fell into the channel.  After retrieving the object, Gonzalez was swimming to where the boat owner was docked when he apparently entered a field of electricity and slipped beneath the water’s surface, DNR said.

 

His 23 year old brother was along the water’s edge and he jumped in for a rescue attempt when he also was affected by the electrical current.  Fortunately, he was thrown a floatation device and pulled to safety.

 

With help from a licensed electrician, DNR said the likely source of the electricity in the water was determined to be a piece of equipment belonging to a nearby slip holder.  DNR did not reveal the type of equipment providing the current due to the ongoing investigation.

 

An autopsy revealed cause of death was drowning secondary to electrocution, according to DNR.