2 men found dead in La Salle Lake after search on Sunday, girl unharmed – Shaw Local

2 men found dead in La Salle Lake after search on Sunday, girl unharmed – Shaw Local

Two Indiana men were found dead Sunday evening following a search at La Salle Lake near rural Marseilles.

More than 20 agencies responded to a report that a 17-foot fishing boat had capsized on the lake, said Phil Wire, a conservation sergeant with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation. A 7-year-old girl was also on the boat, but she was able to quickly swim to shore thanks to a flotation device, Wire said.

The two men on the boat were the girl’s great-grandfather and grandfather, ages 80 and 53. The 80-year-old man was from Gary, Indiana and the 53-year-old was from Merrillville, Indiana.

Wire said a 911 call came in to rescue crews at 12:06 p.m. about a boat stuck on the lake. Another call came in later reporting the boat capsized, Wire said. It’s unclear what happened to the boat, there was no plug in the boat and wind speeds were 15 mph, Wire said. The investigation is ongoing. A life jacket was found in the capsized boat, but it’s unknown if the men had used it, Wire said.

The men were found by an underwater ROV, a remotely operated vehicle, shortly after 7 p.m. on Sunday. In addition to several agencies, the crew of Mutual Alarm Box Alert System 15 and the La Salle County and Grundy County sheriff’s offices were on the scene.

An autopsy is scheduled for Monday on both men. The La Salle County Coroner’s Office will release the victims’ identities once the family has been properly notified.

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