Body Of Missing Kayaker Found In Fox River In St. Charles

ST. CHARLES, IL — The body of a missing kayaker has been found in the Fox River, authorities said.

The body was spotted by a resident at about 6 a.m. Thursday in the river near the Great Western Trail Bridge, according to a news release from the St. Charles Police Department. The man has been identified as a kayaker who was first reported missing Tuesday night.

The man, whose identity has not yet been released, went underwater just south of Ferson Creek Fen along the Fox River in St. Charles at about 9:40 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said. The man was out fishing with another kayaker when his boat tipped over.

An exhaustive, multi-agency search followed, spanning 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 more than two dozen supporting fire departments and multiple government agencies, according to authorities.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police, who hold jurisdiction over the Fox River, and the Kane County Coroner’s Office are continuing to investigate the incident. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Law Enforcement at 217-782-6431.