An 8-year-old boy drowned Monday evening at a public swimming area of Joe Pool Lake at Cedar Hill State Park in Grand Prairie.
Grand Prairie police said Aaron Starks was swimming with a friend, who noticed the boy go under the water.
Approximately 30 minutes passed from the time the boy disappeared below the surface to when rescuers pulled out his body, police said.
Paramedics performed CPR on the boy, but he was not breathing when he was loaded into an ambulance, authorities said. Doctors pronounced Starks dead at a nearby hospital.
NBC 5 confirmed the name of the victim early Tuesday morning.
Grand Prairie police Detective Lyle Gensler said that Memorial Day, the unofficial beginning of summer for many, is the perfect time to review safety procedures.
Young children and anyone who is not a strong swimmer should wear a life vest or use some kind of flotation device when entering the water, he said
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"And if your child doesn't have a life jacket, all we can ask is, if you're an adult, at least be right next to them -- within an arm's length," Gensler said.
