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2 Teen Brothers Drown In Lake Michigan, 2 Friends Rescued By Bystanders

[Facebook:Screenshot:Racine County Sheriff's Office]

Chris Bertman Contributor
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Two teens from Indiana drowned in Lake Michigan after swimming with a group of friends Sunday evening, local outlets reported.

Baroda Lake Township Police Department responded to a 911 call about a drowning at Warren Dunes State Park, located in Berrien County, Michigan, authorities said according to the South Bend Tribune. A group of four teen boys had entered Lake Michigan together before three of the four began wading out deeper into the lake.

The group of boys began to struggle in the water, and two of the teens were reportedly pulled to shore by bystanders while the two other teens, were found underwater about 35 minutes later by first-responders, according to the Tribune. (RELATED: Texas National Guard Soldier Goes Missing Attempting To Save Migrant)

The teen brothers, later identified Ahmad Qasem and Saleem Qasem, were pronounced dead after being transported to Spectrum Health Lakeland Medical Center in St. Joseph. The surviving teens, reportedly cousins, were also taken to the hospital to be treated for their injuries, the outlet reported.

An all-school Mass was reportedly held on Monday morning at Saint Joseph High School, where the brothers attended. All after-school activities were cancelled as well while students were invited to attend an additional Divine Mercy Chaplet service that afternoon, the outlet noted.

“One of our core values is Build Family,” said principal John Kennedy in a public post on the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend’s Facebook page. “This means standing beside one another through the sorrows as well as the triumphs. We will walk through this grief together and call upon our faith to guide and strengthen us at this time. We ask for your prayers for the family, our students, faculty, and staff.”