Body of 10-year-old girl found in DeKalb pond after hourslong water rescue effort

A 10-year-old DeKalb girl died late Sunday, first responders finding her body in a pond on private property in DeKalb after an hourslong search, multiple sources confirmed Monday.

After a four-hour water rescue effort by dozens of first responders from across the region, emergency divers recovered the girl’s body in a large pond on private property near the 600 block of Ridge Drive, acting Fire Chief Luke Howieson said.

On Monday, DeKalb County Coroner Linda Besler said an investigation into the child’s death is ongoing. She did not identify the child.

“If I were the parents, I would not want my child’s name released,” Besler said.

DeKalb police and firefighters, along with more than two dozen other agencies, responded to a 6 p.m. 911 call for a water rescue. Divers recovered a body from the pond about 10 p.m., Howieson said.

The 10-year-old girl was taken to a DeKalb Fire Department ambulance and was pronounced dead at the scene by Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital emergency department personnel, according to a DeKalb Fire Department news release Monday.

“It wasn’t the outcome we were looking for,” Howieson said.

Pond conditions were murky and difficult to navigate for rescue divers, according to the news release.

Howieson thanked the substantial effort by a large number of first responders from across DeKalb County and the northern Illinois region. Agencies provided drones, divers and boats, ambulances and fire trucks, and other technology so authorities could continue searching even after the sun set.

“We wanted those resources there to obviously give it [the search] its best shot,” Howieson said.

In the news release, DeKalb fire officials wrote that medics arriving on the scene “were immediately flagged down by children,” who told them their friend was in the water and drowning.

Police officers were already entering the water when fire officials arrived, according to the release.

Howieson said the children did not live at the property where the suspected drowning occurred. The children were at the pond without an adult at the time of the drowning, he said.

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Police and firefighters huddle around a Cortland ambulance as they prepare a drone to help assist a water rescue on Sunday, July 27, 2025, in the 600 block of Ridge Drive in DeKalb. (Kelsey Rettke)

DeKalb police and firefighters from the department’s Fire Station No. 3 off nearby Dresser Road were the first to arrive minutes after the 911 call.

They immediately got in the water to begin searching, Howieson said. The fire chief soon called every on-shift DeKalb firefighter from all four department stations to the street.

Nearby agencies like Malta meanwhile manned the DeKalb fire stations, responding to other 911 calls so crews could keep looking.

Recalled DeKalb firefighters and the assisting agencies responded to six additional emergency calls during the response, according to the release.

“Obviously it’s a challenging incident and complex, and it requires varied resources with multiple agencies,” Howieson said.

Authorities for hours Sunday blocked off a portion of the 600 block of Ridge Drive to motorists, though more than a dozen passersby stood vigil throughout the humid evening and watched. Ridge Drive was blocked from Normal Road to Pickwick Lane.

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A DeKalb police officer takes video Monday, July 28, 2025, along the tree line that obscures a pond along the property on Ridge Drive between Sunflower Drive and Pickwick Lane as the investigation continues after a victim of an apparent drowning was recovered Sunday night. (Mark Busch)

Emergency vehicles cleared the area about 11 p.m. Sunday.

Divers entered the pond in shifts, Howieson said. At one point there were 11 divers on scene. By 9:30 p.m., it was 18. At another point, three divers and four small pontoon-style boats searched the water.

Divers also came from Kane County, including from Elgin, Carpentersville, Aurora and St. Charles, among others.

“We appreciate the working relationship we have with all those agencies to support each other in a challenging incident like this,” Howieson said.

The pond was not visible by onlookers from the street. But firefighters could be seen donning gear to search. As the sun set, a DeKalb ladder truck lifted crews above the water to help shine a light for divers.

Howieson said divers also used sonar technology to help them see underwater. Drones with infrared technology from the DeKalb Police Department and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office were flown up high to assist and provide light.

This story was updated at 12:05 a.m. July 28, 2025, and then again at 5 p.m. Monday, July 28.