9-year-old dies after near-drowning in Lake Lanier

Six days after being pulled from Lake Lanier in serious condition, a 9-year-old Hoschton boy has died, authorities confirmed.

The child, identified by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources as Ethan Chen, died about 2 p.m. Wednesday at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Channel 2 Action News reported. His father, who was also pulled from the lake, remains at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in critical condition. The department identified him as Libao Chen, 30, also of Hoschton.

Last Thursday, the pair went underwater at the beach near Margaritaville at Lanier Island, Hall County fire spokesman Zach Brackett previously told AJC.com. The father went into the water after he noticed his son had not surfaced.

The father then slipped under the water, and he didn’t reemerge until lifeguards and bystanders on the beach found him and boy, Brackett said. Lifeguards attempted to resuscitate both of them until paramedics arrived.

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