Two Weekend Deaths In Will County Both Were Drownings: O'Neil

JOLIET, IL - Will County Coroner Patrick K. O'Neil announced Sunday that the preliminary autopsy results on two unrelated deaths from Saturday afternoon are both attributed to drowning. One occurred in Elwood at a swimming pool. The other tragedy occurred on the Kankakee River at the Wilmington Dam, O'Neil said.

In Wilmington, 35-year-old Elizabeth R. Larson of Normal, IL, had been using an inflatable watercraft on the Kankakee River when she went over the Wilmington Dam, O'Neil said. She was later pulled from the water, but by then she was unresponsive. She was transported by ambulance to Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet where she was pronounced dead, O'Neil said.

That same afternoon, a 22-month-old child, Traeger A. Moore, drowned in a backyard swimming pool in Elwood. The pool was in the 19000 block of Raymond Drive. The Will County Sheriff's Department continues to investigate the circumstances of Traeger's death, O'Neil said.

The Elwood toddler's unexpected death was devastating news for family and friends. The child's godmother, Serena Magosky of Joliet, took to Facebook and wrote, "Rest in Peace my baby Godson Traeger Archimedes. Gone way too soon. Prayers for his mom Jenny Rafac and our family and friends. See you at the crossroads my 2nd Godson and special cousin to Serenita."

In an interview with The Joliet Herald-News, Magosky said that Traeger's drowned around 1:30 p.m., while the little boy's mother was at work. Jennifer Rafac and her three sons all lived with Jennifer's parents. On Saturday, Traeger's two older brothers, ages 10 and 8, were away from the home in Elwood because they were spending time with their father for the weekend, Magosky told the newspaper.

The Herald-News story indicated that the pool had a 4-foot-tall ladder and a deck that can only be accessed through a locked gate. Eventually, Jennifer Rafac's stepfather found Traeger and tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him.

In Wilmington, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is probing the incident that led to Larson's drowning at the dam.

The Wilmington Dam has been regarded for many years as one of the most dangerous places to swim near. About 20 people have died there since the early 1980s. In 2016, two Joliet children, ages 12 and 13, both drowned there after their family was visiting South Island Park in Wilmington.

Funeral home arrangements were still pending on Sunday evening for both victims, O'Neil said.

Image of Coroner Patrick K. O'Neil via Will County