Crime & Safety
Body of Boy, 9, Recovered From Wauconda Lake: Police
Geraldo Rodriguez and a friend went into the water while on a paddle boat on Bangs Lake Friday night.
WAUCONDA, IL – The body of a boy who would have celebrated his 10th birthday Wednesday was recovered Saturday from Banks Lake in Wauconda. Geraldo Rodriguez, 9, and an 11-year-old friend, Marquis Montez, took a paddle boat out into the water on Friday night, according to WGN. When the boat began to rock, both boys got scared and jumped into the water.
They thought they’d be able to swim to shore. The water temperature was 45 degrees and Rodriguez went under water. Fishermen were able to save Marquis.
UPDATE: Divers recover body of 9-year-old boy in Wauconda lake https://t.co/kfufkHYa3M
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Rescue teams searching the lake were forced to call off the search later Friday night due to deteriorating conditions, according to the Lake County News-Sun. The search resumed early Saturday and Side Scan Sonar technicians found and recovered Geraldo’s body around noon on Saturday, authorities said.
Geraldo would have turned 10 on Wednesday and his family was planning to celebrate his birthday on Saturday (April 19), according to WGN. Family had flown in from Florida to celebrate Geraldo’s birthday.
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