Cass County officials have announced the immediate closure of the swimming area at France Park while a comprehensive safety review is conducted following an unprecedented number of drowning incidents this summer.
In a statement released by James D. Hildebrand, attorney for Cass County, on behalf of the Cass County Commissioners, officials said France Park, a county-owned recreation, camping, and swimming park in western Cass County, has experienced four serious water-related incidents this season.
According to the statement, three people have drowned and one person experienced a near-drowning at the park’s swimming lake.
County officials noted that while there had been previous drownings over the years, the recent series of incidents is unprecedented. As a result, the county is reviewing safety practices and operations at the swimming area.
The statement also said the county is awaiting reports from both the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Cass County Coroner’s Office as part of the review.
Until those reports are received and the evaluation is complete, the swimming area at France Park will remain closed to the general public until further notice.
The closure applies specifically to the swimming area while the county continues its investigation into the recent incidents and considers potential safety improvements.