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Baby pulled from Lake Minnetonka dies

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Jan 22, 2013 at 4:42 pm

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (KNSI) The Hennepin County medical examiner says a baby girl has died after being pulled from her family's submerged sport utility vehicle in Lake Minnetonka last Friday.

The medical examiner says 8-month-old Tabitha Markle of Minnetrista died early Monday at Children's Hospital in Minneapolis. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning.

The girl was strapped in the backseat when the SUV went through the ice late Friday afternoon.

Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek says the 41-year-old father was driving his 31-year-old wife, 2-year-old daughter and the baby girl home from a restaurant when he decided to take a shortcut across the ice. Firefighters in protective suits pulled the baby from the SUV.

The other family members were also treated. The sheriff's office and Orono police are investigating.