Body recovered after crewmember falls from tugboat on Des Plaines River in Channahon
CHANNAHON, Ill. (CBS) -- A body was recovered from the Des Plaines River on Tuesday, after a search for a boater who fell off a tugboat near Channahon on Monday.
The search turned into an recovery operation spanning 7 miles across the river Tuesday.
"Search crews on the Des Plaines River located a deceased person matching the description of the barge crew member who was
last seen in the late afternoon of August 29, 2022," Channahon fire officials said in a written release.
The Will County Coroner is on the scene. Officials said the cause of death is unknown at this time.
NEW: The search for a missing tugboat crew member out of Channahon has now turned into a recovery operation
— Marissa Parra (@MarParNews) August 30, 2022
Fire dept says their search for his body spans 7 miles across Des Plaines River https://t.co/2J7ZtLUDSJ @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/SqLB6tSs9k
Channahon police were called to the Big Basin Marina for a person in the water between the Des Plaines River Bridge and the Dresden Lock and Dam.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported a captain from a tugboat was missing a crewmember. A source said it likely took time for the crew to realize he was missing.
The missing person is a white male of about 50 years of age, last seen around 5:45 p.m. Monday, wearing blue jeans and a blue Carhartt shirt.
He was last seen near the I-55 bridge. The fellow crew members realized the man was missing almost two hours into their trip.
Channahon police deployed a drone, and officers also checked local businesses. The Coast Guard brought in a helicopter. Channahon police and Channahon and Minooka fire crews joined in the rescue efforts.
It is unclear if weather was a factor, but there were storms in the area at the time.
The dead man's name has not yet been released.