Joliet Teen Dies in Kankakee River Drowning

Correction: Due to an error by the Will County Coroner's Office, Abigail's first name was mistakenly given as Abiyail.

WILMINGTON, IL — A Joliet teen has died and her 12-year-old brother is still missing after a Memorial Day drowning incident near South Island Park in Wilmington.

Abigail Arroyo, 13, was pronounced dead at 7:14 p.m. Monday at Presence St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. Arroyo was removed from the Kankakee River near the park after she and her brother wandered into the water and were pulled into the roller current of the dam, according to Will County Coroner Patrick K. O’Neil and Wilmington police.

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Recovery efforts for the boy resumed at 8 a.m. Tuesday morning after he was unable to be located Monday evening. An Illinois State Police helicopter joined the search Tuesday.

During a press conference Tuesday, Wilmington Deputy Fire Chief Todd Friddle said if the boy is not found today, the likelihood of finding him will increase as days go by.

The boy was described as being Hispanic and wearing dark-colored shorts and no shirt. He’s around 5’2’’ and 100 pounds.

Rescuers Tuesday will receive a break from the recovery efforts and then a Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) will be deployed at 3 p.m., which will help with the search.

The search itself consists of looking at areas with a higher probability of locating the boy, such as downstream and directly below the dam face. The search will then widen as days go by.

Friddle said it’s unlikely even adult trained swimmers could remove themselves from the undertow current, which swept the boy away.

Wilmington Police Chief Phillip Arnold said both children were in the area with their father. The mother was not present.

Police were called to the area at around 6 p.m. Monday. Bystanders saw that the children were in distress and two jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue them.

Officers arrived within minutes of the call and immediately deployed water-rescue throw bags. One of the would-be rescuers, Alvaro Ibarra, 28, of Blue Island, was able to grab the rope and was pulled from the water and up the wall by Sgt. Don Thomas, Officer Matt Kiebles, Officer Richard Santana and other bystanders that offered assistance, police said.

Officers said that although they were able to get a throw rope in front of the girl, she was unresponsive.

The second would-be rescuer, Ramon Ibarra, 25, of Blue Island, was able to be pulled out of the water at the shore line. He was transported to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox and admitted in critical condition.