Officials believe drugs were related in death of teen found unresponsive in park

 

ELKHART, Ind., --- Elkhart County Homicide Officials confirmed Wednesday they believe drugs were involved in the incident where two 16-year-old males were found unresponsive at McNaughton Park in Elkhart Tuesday afternoon, with one of them later dying.

ABC57 spoke with park goers and a local mother who lost her own sons to drug overdose and has been advocating for drug awareness.

“I mean anytime you hear something like that. A senseless death, a preventable death it just takes your breath away,” said Becky Savage the President & Co-Founder of the 525 Foundation.

Savage, launched the foundation in 2016 after losing two of her sons to drug related overdoses.

She said she was saddened after hearing two more young males were found unresponsive by the river at McNaughton park in Elkhart Tuesday afternoon.

“Maybe they didn’t know what they were doing. Kids by nature are curious. We all know that and kids are doing to make mistakes, adults are going to make mistakes. People are doing to make mistakes but the point here is they shouldn’t be dying from their mistakes,” said Savage.

Police said the teenagers were found by nurses who happened to be nearby.

First aid was administered along with Narcan was administered to both young males.

Some frequent park goers ABC57 spoke with said they were shaken up by the incident.

“It’s a little bit scary, I don’t want to see anything happen to young people. This is a nice little local park and I love to feel that my wife and I are both safe down here. We don’t have to worry about incidents with drugs,” said Edward Stiewing, who visits McNaughton Park nearly every day.

According to the Indiana State Health Department drug related overdoses have increased statewide since 2019.

One of the biggest reasons savage says she’s advocating for drug awareness and education especially among youth.

“We feel that the more people who are aware of the dangers of the dangers that can come with substance abuse then the more people’s lives that we can potentially touch and potentially save,” said Savage.

The Elkhart County Homicide unit has taken over the investigation and at last check the second teen was still in the hospital.

The 525 Foundation will be holding an event next week on August 30 at the St. Joseph County Library Downtown called “Let’s Chat” where they’re set to talk about drug education, particularly targeting youth.

Click here more information about the event and drug prevention.