Body In Des Plaines River Was Crest Hill Man: Coroner

JOLIET, IL — The Will County Coroner's Office has identified the body found Thursday in the Des Plaines River as 49-year-old Crest Hill resident William Madera. The Joliet Fire Department recovered Madera's body floating in the Des Plaines River Thursday morning near the 800 block of Railroad Street. Joliet Fire Chief Greg Blaskey told Patch that fire department rescue crews from Station 1 and Station 5 were called to the canal around 10:20 a.m.

A worker on one of the river barges spotted the body and notified authorities, he said. The body was located near the shoreline along Railroad Street. Joliet firefighters wearing flotation suits were able to remove the body of the man from the water, Blaskey said.

The Joliet Police Department will be investigating the circumstances of the man's death, Blaskey said.

Thursday's recovery made April the second straight month that a body was found in waterways near Joliet.

On March 23, Joliet Patch reported the body of 27-year-old Joliet resident Eric Cotter was discovered two miles southwest of Joliet at the spillway of the Brandon Road lock and dam near Rockdale.