The body of a male kayaker who had been missing in the Fox River since Tuesday evening was recovered this morning following a 911 call from citizen at around 6:00am.
The body was located in the river near the Great Western Trail Bridge in St. Charles and has been positively identified as the missing kayaker.
According to St. Charles officials, at 9:36pm Tuesday evening, the St. Charles Fire Department responded to a call for a person in the water in the Fox River near Ferson Creek in St. Charles. First responders arrived on the scene and immediately initiated a coordinated water rescue operation.
Mutual aid from 29 area fire departments was utilized to assist in the search effort, deploying divers and boats with specialized sonar and scan search equipment. Crews searched through the night until approximately 5am.
Search operations resumed at 8:30am Wednesday, but were subsequently transitioned from rescue to recovery later, according to a public statement from the city.
The ongoing investigation into the incident continues by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police, who hold jurisdiction over the Fox River, and the Kane County Coroner’s Office.
The exhaustive, multi-agency search spanned nearly 20 hours over the course of two days and involved extensive resources, including side and sector scan sonar technology, specialized search-and-rescue canines, dive teams, underwater rovers, and the coordinated efforts of over two dozen supporting fire departments and multiple government agencies.
“This was a complex operation led by St. Charles Fire Chief Jeremy Mauthe and the St. Charles Fire Department,” said Mayor Clint Hull. “I appreciate their professionalism and the seamless inter-agency cooperation provided by first responder agencies across the region. We extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and all who have been affected by this tragic incident.”
The Kane County Coroner has not released the identity of the victim at this time.
