Villa Park Teen's Body Found In Des Plaines River After Days-Long Search: Sheriff's Office

RIVER FOREST, IL — The Cook County Sheriff's Office confirmed Thursday it has recovered the body of Cameron Sanders, 16, who jumped into the Des Plaines River on Saturday. The sheriff's office said Sanders' body was located at 10:25 a.m. approximately 150 yards from Rainbow Bridge in the Thatcher Woods. Sanders had been missing after he jumped off Rainbow Bridge into the river.

In a statement, the sheriff's office said it plans to continue its investigation into "this tragic loss of life," adding, "Our thoughts and prayers remain with Cameron's family at this most difficult time."

Crews initially ceased the search for Sanders on Sunday. On Monday, volunteers, friends and family joined Robert Larson and community organizer Anthony Clark to help find Sanders. Just a half-hour before volunteers began their search, Sheriff Tom Dart announced the Cook County Sheriff's Office was taking over search efforts.

Larson, who found the body of one-year-old Bryeon Hunter four years ago, headed up Monday's search after the family expressed outrage that authorities had halted the search for Sanders. He said, "When there’s a case and a family doesn’t feel that they’re getting the cooperation and the attention on the case, then they’ll contact me." Larson said that Sanders' mother is "absolutely livid with Cook County." He also claims that police asked for his advice and then discouraged him from helping them look in the same area where they found Sanders.

Larson said that at one point Sanders' family had been watching the search from Rainbow Bridge Wednesday when sheriff's officers told them to leave because they thought they had found Sanders. According to Larson, the family was waiting in a nearby parking lot for "an hour or two" before police returned to tell them it was a "false alarm."

"[Cameron's mother] was extremely thankful for what I did out there," Larson said.

Many are questioning why it took search crews and the Cook County Sheriff's Office five days to find the body of Cameron Sanders. In a news conference Saturday, Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin said, "It doesn't seem like every effort was made to ensure that we recover his body in a timely fashion." Boykin said investigation is in order regarding why it took so long to locate the body even though it was just 150 feet from Rainbow Bridge.

This is a developing story. Check back with Patch for updates.

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