The girl was reported missing in the water at the private lake at 5 p.m., according to a release from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
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Witnesses said the girl was swimming from a platform near the shore when she began struggling in the water.
Lifeguards were on-duty and immediately started a search, officials said.
Emergency personnel from the Portage Fire Department, Porter Fire Department, Chesterton Fire Department, Portage Police Department and Indiana Conservation Officers joined the search.
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The girl's body was recovered from a section of the lake that was about 15-feet-deep by a member of the Chesterton Fire Department at around 5:30 p.m., officials said.
The child was taken to Porter Regional Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating the drowning.