Shattered Hearts: Family, Friends Remember Glenview Native

GLENVIEW, IL — Iñaki Bascaran made an impression on everyone he knew and many others he didn't. The 23-year-old Glenview native, who went missing for six days in Chicago, is being remembered as a kind and caring soul, loved by family, friends and the countless strangers who volunteered their time in searching for him.

“Our hearts have shattered, and we’re still trying to comprehend that our Iñaki isn’t coming home in the way we all desperately hoped he would,” said Jose Bascaran, Iñaki’s father, in a statement. “There are not enough words of gratitude to capture the appreciation we have for everyone who helped in the search for our son.”

Services are being handled by N.H. Scott & Hanekamp Funeral Home in Glenview. A wake will take place at 3 p.m. Wednesday, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Glenview, followed by a Mass at 7 p.m.

The body of Bascaran, a 2016 graduate of Glenbrook South, was recovered Friday from the Chicago River. Hundreds of volunteers in person across Chicagoland, and more than 10,000 people across social media, teamed up with the family, the Chicago Police Department and private detectives from Vantius in a marathon search for Bascaran after he went missing Saturday, Oct. 30.

RELATED: Body Of Missing Glenview Native Found In Chicago River: Police

“To everyone who has watched, wished, prayed, and joined us in the grueling, frantic search, thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” said family friend, Renata Buenrostro.

Some who joined the hunt for Bascaran, a graduate of the University of Illinois, were complete strangers, and others were longtime friends, like Kayli Fradin, whose Instagram account, @bringinakihome, gathered nearly 9,500 followers to help find Bascaran.

“Iñaki’s smile and energy just lit up a room,” Fradin said. “He had a big heart, always made people laugh, and loved soccer, shows like 'The Office,' and his dog, Max.”

Bascaran was at his Wrigleyville apartment with Fradin and his roommate watching scary movies for Halloween on Oct. 30, before he left to meet another group of friends at Celeste, a bar in the River North neighborhood. He left the bar and FaceTimed a roommate just after midnight that he was heading home.

His cell phone battery died, and with it his access to rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft.

Based on leads people shared and footage from The City of Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, it appears at this time that Bascaran tried to navigate the more than five miles to his Wrigleyville apartment on foot, alone, and without a clear sense of direction. He became lost near the river and never made it home.

“It could have happened to any of us,” Fradin said. “Most people have gone out to have some weekend fun and talk about whatever adventures happened with friends the next day. It’s just a nightmare that everything went so wrong for Iñaki that night.”

The search for Bascran, according to Vantius, included Chicago Police marine units, K-9s that specialize in finding deceased individuals, drones and a combination of public and private resources to pursue leads sent from thousands of people.

“Among the thousands of cases this firm has investigated over the last 20 years, this one stands out as having one of the most committed groups of family and friends, along with a prolific team of volunteers who were remarkably generous with their time and tips,” said Sergio Serritella, private detective and founder of Vantius.

Bascaran is being remembered as a "beautiful young man, beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend," according to his obituary. At GBS, he was a terrific student, and athlete who always gave more than his best.

"He applied himself to any task in a manner that epitomized his pursuit of excellence in everything he did," the obituary reads. "He always expected perfection."

Bascaran graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in May 2020 with a degree in economics. He began working as a media associate at Chicago-based media agency Starcom, part of the Publicis network. He was praised by the global chairman and CEO for his work ethic and dedication, and for always being willing to go beyond expectations, according to the obituary.

Bascaran was a "family boy" who loved to watch sports at home with his father and friends.

"Iñaki lived life intensely. He liked to laugh and to make us laugh with his great sense of humor," the obituary continues. "But more than anything else, Iñaki was a beautiful person inside. He was well-mannered and had the most caring and kind soul."

Bascaran is survived by his mother, Lucia Garza Bascaran, his father, José Bascaran and his sister, Arantza Bascaran.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Iñaki Bascaran, visit N.H. Scott & Hanekamp Funeral Home's Tribute Store.