Schaumburg Man Dies After Canoe Accident On Fox Lake

FOX LAKE, IL — The body of a 30-year-old Schaumburg man was recovered Friday morning following a canoe accident at Mineola Bay in Fox Lake. The man and a friend had gone canoeing at around 1:30 a.m. when the canoe flipped and both men fell into the water, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

At around 1:40 a.m. Friday, authorities received a number of 911 calls for a report of a person screaming for help. The callers believed the person in distress was somewhere in the water, according to a news release. Sheriff’s deputies and Fox Lake Police Officers responded to the calls.

An individual was located in the 0-100 block of Holly Avenue, Fox Lake, who had swum to shore. The 45-year-old man, of Flagler, Florida, told deputies that he and his friend, the 30-year-old Schaumburg resident, went canoeing around 1:30 a.m. The canoe flipped and both men fell into the water. Neither man was wearing a life vest, according to police. The 30-year-old was a poor swimmer, went under the water and did not resurface.

Sheriff’s deputies, who also serve on the Sheriff’s Marine Unit, immediately went to the Marine Base and launched two sheriff’s boats into the water in an attempt to rescue the missing person. They were joined by Fox Lake Fire Protection District and other fire/rescue boats, according to the news release.

Just before 8 a.m., members of the Fox Lake Fire Protection District located the 30-year-old in the water. He was deceased. His identity has not been released pending notification of family.

The investigation continues by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division and Lake County Coroner’s Office.