Grandpa dies saving grandkid from drowning in western Wisconsin, sheriff says

BARRON COUNTY, Wis. — Authorities in western Wisconsin say a man died trying to save his grandchild from drowning on Saturday.

The Barron County Sheriff's Office says it received a report of a man who went into the water below the Mikana Dam to help a struggling child. The child safely got out of the water, but the man did not return.

Upon arrival, responders searched the area for the man but were unsuccessful. The Mikana Dam was closed as the search continued. Eventually, a dive team found and recovered the man.

Investigators say the 71-year-old man had taken his two grandchildren fishing and swimming in the area. Both kids had been wearing lifejackets when one of them began to struggle. Their grandfather went into the water, got them to where they could stand again and the children made it back to shore.

The sheriff's office says that for an unknown reason, the man went underwater and drowned.

The incident remains under investigation.