Joliet Family Suing City of Wilmington Over Death of Children in Kankakee River

JOLIET, IL — A Joliet family who lost two children in the Kankakee River over the Memorial Day weekend has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Wilmington.

Eder Arroyo, 12, was pulled underwater, and his 13-year-old sister, Abigail Arroyo, jumped in to save him. Abigail drowned in the water and was pronounced dead at a Joliet hospital. Her brother’s body was found days later, three and a half miles downstream from where he was last seen.

The family’s attorneys, Katherine Cardenas and John Risvold of Lucas & Cardenas P.C., filed a civil suit to make sure this doesn’t happen again, according to a news release from the firm.

“This was a horrible tragedy but it was preventable,” Cardenas, name partner at Lucas & Cardenas, said in the news release. “Eder and Abigail will never get the chance to grow up. The City knew the dam was unsafe, they knew of up to 20 other people who have drowned there, but did nothing to stop this tragedy from happening. We want justice for these two children and their family.”

The family hopes that by filing this suit, changes can be made which will make the dam and surrounding areas safer, according to the release. They ask that the community respect their privacy as they deal with the tragic loss of their two children.

An email seeking comment from City of Wilmington lawyer John Urban was not immediately returned Thursday.

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