Make wishtv.com your home page

Toddler dies after falling off pontoon into river

OSCEOLA, Ind. (AP) – Authorities said a 3-year-old died after falling off the back of a pontoon boat in St. Joseph County Saturday.

According to a report from the DNR, family and friends were swimming from a pontoon boat when Bryson Washington, 3, of Mishawaka, went into the water.

He was wearing a life jacket while swimming, but he took it off after he got back into the boat.

Rescuers searched for nearly an hour looking for the boy.

Conservation Officer Jon Boyd says Bryson died just before 6 p.m. Saturday at a hospital.

The boy was on the pontoon boat with a half dozen or so family and friends when he fell off.

Authorities say Bryson wasn’t wearing a floatation device when he fell in, but was wearing one earlier in the day.

The Department of Natural Resources is investigating, although authorities say foul play isn’t suspected.

A GoFundeMe page has been created for his family.