August 10, 2009

A tragic drowning at an area lake is prompting officials to get the word out about water safety. Police are also investigating to see if criminal charges should be filed in the death of the four-year-old victim.

During a family birthday celebration at Sante Fe Lake Saturday night four-year-old Aryan Herling went missing. Police say family members searched for him for at least a half an hour and then got help.

When rescue crews arrived they found Herling's body in five feet of water. Sergeant Tim Follis helped pull him out. It's a scene that will stick with him.

"It's one of those things you go home and you hug your family and you hug your kids. It makes it harder knowing something simple could have prevented it," said Follis.

Police say the four-year-old, who did not know how to swim, was not wearing a life jacket. That alone, they say, could have saved his life.

Plus police say with the dirty water conditions at lakes, young children should always be supervised.

"And if you can't do either of those you can't afford to be at the lake because it just takes moments. It can be avoided and I just wish that the word would get out," said Augusta Police Chief Tyler Brewer.

While police try to get the word out about the importance of wearing life jackets they are also investigating Herling's drowning and interviewing all the people who were there when it happened.

"We're putting all the facts together to determine if there are any problems we need to look into on the criminal side," said Brewer.

Police expect to finish the investigation by the end of the week.

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Augusta authorities have released the name of a boy who drowned Saturday evening.

Aryan Herling, 4, drowned at Santa Fe Lake around 7:00 p.m.. His family members called 911 after Aryan went missing. Augusta Director of Public Safety Tyler Brewer said the boy did not know how to swim and was not wearing a life jacket.

Brewer said the boy was underwater for at least 45 minutes. Herling was pronounced dead at a Wichita hospital.

Brewer said an investigation into the boy's death is underway.