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Drowning reported

BERGHOLZ — A 15-year-old Amish teen was found drowned three and one-half hours after he went underwater at a pond on Saturday evening, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department.

Rescue crews using drag lines found the body of David Miller, 15, of Bergholz in a pond at 2014 county Road 58, Bergholz.

His brother, Lester Miller Jr., 17, told a sheriff’s deputy that David jumped off a dock, and it looked like he was swimming back to shore around 8 p.m. Saturday. Lester said his brother appeared to be struggling, so he jumped in and went after his brother, the sheriff’s department reported. Lester said he tried to swim back to shore with his brother, but David would not move and kept going under water. Lester told a deputy he lost his grip on his brother, and David went under the water. Lester said he tried to find his brother again but couldn’t, the sheriff’s department reported.

Amsterdam, Bergholz, East Springfield, Richmond, Toronto and Stratton fire departments responded. Toronto and Stratton brought boats, and drag lines were used for hours to locate the teen, the sheriff’s department reported.

Several regional dive teams were contacted but either wouldn’t respond or couldn’t come until morning.

The crew in the Toronto boat located the body at 11:24 p.m. Saturday.

The coroner’s office released the body to an Amish home for burial, the sheriff’s department reported.

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