Authorities are investigating after a 5-year-old child drowned Saturday afternoon at the Lake Minnetonka Swim Pond inside Lake Minnetonka Regional Park in Minnetrista, Minnesota. According to FOX 9 reporting based on information from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, a bystander spotted the child in the water. Lifeguards pulled the child from the water and began CPR before the child was taken to a hospital, where the child later died.
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office says the drowning remains under investigation.
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What happened at Lake Minnetonka Regional Park?
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office said Minnetrista police, the Sheriff’s Office Water Patrol, Three Rivers Park District police, the St. Bonifacius Fire Department and Ridgeview EMS responded after the child was found in the water. Lifeguards had removed the child from the pond and started CPR before the child was transported to a hospital. The Sheriff’s Office has not released the child’s name or explained what happened before the child was spotted.
What is the Lake Minnetonka Swim Pond?
The drowning occurred at a constructed swimming facility, not along an open stretch of Lake Minnetonka shoreline. Three Rivers Park District describes the Lake Minnetonka Swim Pond as a 1.75-acre, sand-bottom swimming pond with filtered, chlorinated water and a maximum depth of six feet. The park district lists daily lifeguard hours during the summer season and separately notes that the pond is unguarded outside those hours.
The design, staffing, rules and records of a supervised swim pond can be different from those of an unguarded lake beach. In this incident, the Sheriff’s Office specifically reported that lifeguards were present and participated in the rescue.
What should investigators examine after a drowning at a supervised swim facility?
In a serious swimming facility drowning investigation, the central question is what the evidence shows happened before, during and after the swimmer became distressed. Depending on the facts, investigators may examine:
- The timeline, including when the child was last seen doing well, when distress began, when the child was spotted, when the child was removed from the water and when CPR and emergency medical care began.
- Lifeguard stations, assigned zones, rotation schedules, scanning procedures and sightlines across the water.
- The number and location of swimmers and whether crowding, glare, water clarity, weather or other conditions affected visibility.
- Facility rules for young children, non-swimmers, flotation devices and responsible-adult supervision, and how those rules were communicated and enforced.
- Lifeguard and staff training, certifications, in-service training, rescue drills and emergency-action procedures.
- The location and availability of rescue equipment, radios, CPR equipment and an automated external defibrillator, if one was part of the facility’s emergency plan.
- Video, photographs, 911 and dispatch records, incident reports, staffing rosters, shift logs and witness accounts.
- Relevant maintenance, water-clarity and safety records, along with prior incident or complaint records if they bear on the conditions involved.
These types of records and observations help investigators establish a reliable timeline and determine whether the facility, its staff or anyone else acted reasonably under the circumstances.
Another child drowning at a Three Rivers Park District property within a year
The drowning at Lake Minnetonka Regional Park comes about a year after another child died in a drowning at a Three Rivers Park District property in Hennepin County.
In July 2025, an 8-year-old boy drowned at Baker Park Beach during a school field trip. Baker Park Reserve and Lake Minnetonka Regional Park are both operated by the Three Rivers Park District.
When can a drowning lead to a wrongful death claim in Minnesota?
Yes. Parents can pursue a wrongful death claim after the death of a child when negligence or unsafe conditions contributed to the child’s death.
If you have questions about whether you may have a claim after a child drowning, Pritzker Hageman’s wrongful death attorneys can review what happened, explain your legal options and help determine what steps to take next.
Pritzker Hageman has experience investigating child drowning cases
Pritzker Hageman has represented families in serious child drowning and pool wrongful death cases. Attorneys at the firm represented the family of a 12-year-old boy after he drowned during a school swim class. The firm obtained a $3 million settlement against the school district.
Attorney Eric Hageman was named a Minnesota Attorney of the Year in 2015 for his work on that pool-drowning case. The firm’s investigation uncovered previously unknown facts involving negligence, demonstrating why preserving video, staffing information, training records and other time-sensitive evidence can be so important in drowning cases.
Contact Eric today and find out how you can get compensation and justice
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Frequently Asked Questions About Drowning Cases in Minnesota
A 5-year-old child drowned at Lake Minnetonka Regional Park in Minnetrista, Minnesota. According to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, a bystander spotted the child in the water, lifeguards pulled the child out and began CPR, and the child later died at a hospital. The drowning remains under investigation.
Lake Minnetonka Regional Park is operated by the Three Rivers Park District, which manages parks, trails and recreational facilities throughout the Twin Cities area.
Yes. In July 2025, an 8-year-old boy drowned at Baker Park Beach during a school field trip. Baker Park Reserve and Lake Minnetonka Regional Park are both operated by the Three Rivers Park District.
Yes. Parents may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim after the death of a child if negligence or unsafe conditions contributed to the child’s death.
A family should contact a drowning lawyer as soon as possible. Acting quickly can help preserve important evidence, including video, witness accounts and records. Laws called statutes of limitations also set deadlines for filing a claim, so it is important to understand your legal options early.
Talk with a Minnesota drowning lawyer
If your family is dealing with a fatal or catastrophic drowning at a pool, swim pond, water park, school activity or other supervised setting, our Minnesota drowning lawyers can review what happened, identify evidence that may need to be preserved and explain the deadlines and legal standards that apply.
Call 612-338-0202, text 612-261-0856, or contact us online. We are not paid unless we win for you.