Body recovered after crewmember falls from tugboat on Des Plaines River in Channahon

CHANNAHON, Ill. (CBS) — A body has been recovered from the Des Plaines River after a search for a boater who fell off a tugboat in the Des Plaines River. 

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. 

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.