Tragic Discovery in Lake Michigan

Two missing boaters from Illinois found dead in Lake Michigan, triggering a wave of sorrow. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office communicated the distressing update on Friday, LEAPing onto an incident that began just the previous week.

Discovery of the Bodies

On Friday midday, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department Marine Unit and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, engaged in a relentless search, successfully recovered the bodies of the two missing boaters.

The somber discovery unfolded around 12:30 p.m. when a local fisherman made a distress call to 9-1-1 upon locating a body just north of a BP breakwall, around three quarters of a mile from the shore. Upon receiving the report, officers from the Lake County Marine Unit leaped into action, lending their aid to the DNR in retrieving the body.

Shortly thereafter, the DNR located the second body east of the BP breakwall. The recovery operation marked the conclusion of a weeklong search that began when a distress call reported three individuals falling out of their boat and into Lake Michigan.

The Initial Search Operation

Last week, the expansive search area spanned two miles north of Whiting, Indiana. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department Aviation Unit, alongside the United States Coast Guard, had joined hands with DNR in the massive hunt for the missing boaters.

During this initial search, the Coast Guard successfully rescued a male boater, who, fortunately, was wearing a life jacket at the time.

Victims Identified

The victims were publicly identified as 45-year-old Eduardo Rivera Jr., and 32-year-old Salvador Lopez, both hailing from Elk Grove, Ill. The sad news was shared on the Town of Chesterton’s Facebook page.

Amidst the wave of grief, the whole community is joining in expressing their heartfelt condolences and support to the families of Eduardo and Salvador. At the same time, the incident is serving as a harsh reminder of the importance of safety procedures while boating.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is taking the lead in the ongoing investigation around the incident.

Contact Information

For further details, please reach us at (219) 809-0445 or on email at ric@wimsradio.com. We’re located at 685 East 1675 North Michigan City, IN 46360.

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