Stepmother Charged with Neglect in Death of 5-Year-Old Stepdaughter Found in River

An Indiana woman, Deonna Hollingsworth, 26, has been charged with neglect in connection with the death of her 5-year-old stepdaughter, who was found dead in a river. Officials received a 911 call about a missing child who had been playing in the Wabash River at Kimmel Park before disappearing. Multiple agencies searched for the girl for several hours before finding her body near the park's boat ramp.

An Indiana woman has been charged with neglect after her 5-year-old stepdaughter was found dead in a river, according to officials.

Deonna Hollingsworth, 26, has been charged in connection with the child's death.

Knox County officials said they received a 911 call around 2:40 p.m. Thursday in which the caller reported a child who had been playing in the Wabash River at Kimmel Park in Vincennes, Indiana, before going missing, according to WFIE.

Multiple agencies rushed to the river and searched for the girl using boat, sonar, and dive teams, according to the state's Department of Natural Resources.

The girl's body was found by divers around 7:15 p.m. near the park's boat ramp.

The child was in the care of Hollingsworth, her stepmother, when she vanished in the river.

"We felt there was enough evidence to show the child was in her care at the time, and the child was put in a situation that endangered her life or health," Department of Natural Resources Officer Joe Haywood said.

The incident remains under investigation.

The child's death is the latest in a string of drownings in Indiana this summer. In May, a 10-year-old boy drowned in a retention pond in Fort Wayne. And in June, a 12-year-old boy drowned in a lake in Elkhart County.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is urging parents to take precautions to keep their children safe around water.

* Supervise children at all times when they are near water.

* Teach children to swim.

* Wear a life jacket when boating or swimming in deep water.

* Do not allow children to swim in unsupervised areas.

* Be aware of the water conditions and hazards in your area.

* If you see a child in distress, call 911 immediately.