Father and teenage son drown as dad tries to rescue him from lake

A father and his teenage son drowned in Lake Anna, Virginia, after the father attempted to rescue his son, authorities reported.

The incident occurred around 1:10 pm on Saturday when the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a child drowning near Carrs Bridge Road in Lake Anna, approximately 60 miles northwest of Richmond.

“While en route, officers were informed that the child’s father had attempted to locate and rescue his son,” police stated. “Witnesses reportedly observed the father struggling before losing sight of him as well. Several people jumped into the water to try to locate them, but they were unsuccessful.”

Louisa County Sheriff’s Office Marine Units, Mineral Volunteer Firefighters, Lake Anna Volunteer Rescue, Department of Wildlife Resources, and Spotsylvania County Fire and EMS Dive Team divers assisted in locating and recovering the bodies of the 42-year-old father and his 14-year-old son. Both were declared dead at the scene.

The victims were transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Richmond for examination. Authorities have not yet identified the victims but confirmed they were not local residents and are withholding their names pending notification of next of kin. The Louisa County Sheriff’s Office does not suspect foul play.

The investigation is ongoing.