Coroner's office identifies two girls who died after swimming in Greenwood retention pond

Jake Allen
Indianapolis Star

Two girls who died at the hospital after they were pulled from a retention pond in Greenwood have been identified.  

The girls were playing with a group in the water Wednesday when they were separated and did not resurface until Greenwood police and fire department arrived on scene, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

The girls were found in about 15 feet of water, according to the DNR.  They were identified as 13-year-old Rosia Mang and 11-year-old Paw Lin, according to the Marion County Coroner’s Office.  

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Official: retention ponds not meant for swimming

"Retention ponds are especially dangerous because they are not meant for swimming,” said Lt. Angela Goldman of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. “They are just meant to hold water from runoff. They are typically not clear so there is zero visibility and each step you take you are stepping blind.”  

Retention ponds can have sharp drop-offs, underwater cliffs and be full of debris, which adds to the danger of swimming in them, Goldman said.  

The girls were found minutes apart at a retention pond in the 1200 block of Edgewater Drive near Greenwood Community High School a few minutes after 8 p.m., according to the DNR. One of the children was a middle school student, according to a statement from the Greenwood Community School Corporation. 

“Please keep this family in your thoughts during this difficult time," the statement reads.  

Contact Jake Allen at  jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19