Front Page
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE…
But not a drop to drink, or damn near, as with the onset of the huge, damaging, and killing storm, the city’s six water towers, losing power, went dry except for a single tower that reached half empty before the city, applying itself with enormous effort and instant reactions…reacted.
The sewer system was the same, followed by a world-class effort in joining Alliant to bring in sixty-two divisions of electrical workers, trucks, and over one hundred poles to replace the ones snapped off in the storm. This front page comes with an admission. The Geneva Shore Report was wrong! That’s right, blatantly wrong and proven so by Mother Nature herself as this rolling monster of an unexpected and underrated storm blew in just as July 4th celebrations were getting underway. The GSR opposed the purchase of a police boat quite strongly, as a waste of taxpayer money to duplicate police services already existent out on Geneva Lake. What happened when the storm hit? The Chief of Police of Lake Geneva, accompanied by a lieutenant and a patrolman, immediately launched the boat. The 911 call came in about the boat in trouble out in the middle of the funnel cloud-infested storm moving rapidly across the lake. The Lake Geneva Police Department was on the scene of the devastating boat accident in five minutes more, and if it had not been there, the three fatalities would have been added to by seven more.
The regular lake police took twenty more minutes to get their act together and arrive at the scene. The GSR was wrong, and many other people were right. Hopefully, the other communities around the lake will ‘take a knee’ and admit the same thing, even though Lake Geneva’s withdrawal from the communities around the lake financial funding was hurt by the loss of Lake Geneva’s contribution.
Here is the latest official police report on the incident on the lake: “The occupants were residents of Batavia, Illinois; Wheaton, Illinois; and Fontana, Wisconsin. Initial investigation records show that all juveniles on board the vessel were wearing life jackets of proper size and fit.
As boating conditions rapidly deteriorated, the operator attempted to seek safe refuge. Unable to find safe harbor, the operator relied on his training and experience, turning the vessel directly into the wind. The vessel was struck by at least two large waves that broke over the bow, causing the vessel to take on a significant amount of water and begin to list to one side. The vessel was then struck by an additional large wave to its side, causing it to roll, capsize, and send all 10 occupants into the water. After capsizing, the vessel quickly sank below the waterline. Following an immediate 911 notification from a passing vessel, emergency responders initiated a rapid rescue operation. First responders successfully recovered seven individuals—six adults and one child—before being alerted that three children remained unaccounted for. Following an intensive search, divers located the sunken vessel in 32 feet of water. The three missing children aged 10, 7, and 6 were located inside. Divers were able to free the children from the vessel and bring them to the surface. Lifesaving measures were administered immediately at the scene by emergency personnel and continued continuously during transit to local medical facilities. Despite these exhaustive efforts, all three children were later pronounced deceased. Preliminary medical information indicates the children suffered no external injuries, and the preliminary cause of death is consistent with freshwater drowning ”
We recognize the extraordinary, immediate efforts of the City of Lake Geneva Police Department, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office, the Town of Linn Police Department, the Lake County Illinois Sheriff’s Office, the City of Lake Geneva Fire Department, the Village of Fontana Fire Department, the Hebron Illinois Fire Department, MABAS Division 103 Dive Team, MABAS Division 4 & 5 Sonar Team, the Water Safety Patrol, the Walworth County Medical Examiner’s Office, and all first responders who risked their own safety in an attempt to save lives during this horrible tragedy. We also would like to thank Austin Pier Service for the assistance that they provided.”
