The body of an 11-year-old girl who is believed to have drowned Wednesday evening while swimming in the Raccoon River has been recovered. 

At about 5:57 p.m. Wednesday Des Moines police and fire department rescue personnel responded to the river in a wooded area northeast of the 6000 block of Creston Avenue  after a child fell into the water.

An 11-year-old girl was on an inflatable raft with two other children, got off the raft, went under the water and did not resurface, said Des Moines Police spokesperson Sgt. Paul Parizek in a news release. 

Officers from the Metro STAR Unit located her body around 12:20 p.m. Friday. Her body was recovered from the Raccoon River near where she was last seen.

Police have not released the girl's name.

Know what to watch for: Remember that drowning doesn't look like drowning. "What we see portrayed on TV or the movies is kicking and screaming, but usually a drowning incident is silent," said Sue Mackie, who retired as executive director of the U.S. Swim School Association in 2017. "Suddenly they're in a position when they can't get a breath of air and they're going under and it's too late for the fight."

Call for help: Yell to alert a lifeguard or any others around you that a drowning is occurring before you take action to try to save the victim. In case something goes wrong, other people need to know you may need assistance with the rescue.

Throw, don't go: A young child struggling in the water can easily cause an adult attempting a rescue to drown as well. It is safer to throw a lifesaving device, towel, rope, pool noodle or long stick to the person in the water, wait until he or she grabs hold and then tow the person to safety.

Approach from behind: If you need to enter the water to save someone from drowning, it's best to approach the person from behind to lessen the likelihood the person will grab on to you and pull you under the water as well.

Wear a life jacket: If you are attempting to rescue a drowning victim in open water, put on a Coast Guard-approved life jacket before entering the water, and if possible, secure yourself to your boat or shore with a rope. The jacket could save your life and the victim's.

Watch for secondary drowning: People who experience a drowning incident can still have water in their lungs hours after and need to be watched closely for signs of trouble breathing, which could indicate a secondary drowning emergency.

To keep kids safe in the water, the U.S. Swim School Association has developed some important guidelines:

Teach your child to swim: Children should take swimming lessons as early as possible; Mackie recommends year-round lessons to keep your kids' skills sharp.

Watch your kids: Even when lifeguards are present, don't assume your child is safe, especially young children who aren't yet strong swimmers. And if you send your child swimming with another adult, make sure the adult is a strong swimmer who understands water safety precautions, especially if lifeguards aren't present. Make sure your children know they're not allowed to swim without adult supervision.

Wear a life jacket: Children who aren't strong swimmers should wear a life jacket that is a U.S. Coast Guard-Approved Personal Flotation Device. "Don't just count on a pool noodle, water wings or a toy floatie," Mackie said. "They can get away from you too easily." Children should also wear Coast Guard-approved life jackets on boats and jet skis.

Swim with a buddy: "Everyone should swim with a buddy in a supervised area," Mackie said. "This is especially important for teens and tweens who have more freedom. Even if they know how to swim, they shouldn't be swimming alone and should make sure they always have a buddy."

Institute timeouts: Every hour, take five minutes to rest and get a drink. If you're with a large group, that gives you a chance to do a head count, too. Be aware of your children's limitations; if they start to look fatigued, have them get out and rest for a while.

Learn CPR: Learning CPR is especially important if you have a pool or swim frequently without lifeguard supervision.

Install safety equipment: If you have a pool, make sure you have child-proof fences and barriers installed.

Correction: A previous version of this article misidentified the river where the girl is believed to have drowned. It is the Raccoon River.

Philip Joens covers public safety, city government and RAGBRAI for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-443-3347 at pjoens@registermedia.com or on Twitter @Philip_Joens.