On 6/14/2011 at approximately 3:20 P.M., four male subjects were boating in a canoe in Pierce Lake located in Rock Cut State Park. Witnesses from the shoreline said they saw the canoe located approximately 50 yards from the shore tip over, tossing the four subjects into the water. Witnesses stated 3 of the subjects stayed with the overturned canoe while one of the subjects, identified in this report as the boat operator, began to swim toward shore. The boat operator swam approximately half the distance between the overturned canoe and the shoreline when he started yelling for assistance and began showing signs of panic by thrashing in the water.

One of the other passengers from the overturned canoe swam to the operator in an attempt to assist him. The passenger arrived at the operator and attempted to grab him but could not keep a hold of him. The operator went under water and did not resurface.  
Attempts were made to rescue the operator from witnesses on the shore and from swimmers in the water. These rescue attempts were unsuccessful. 

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrived on scene approximately 20-25 minutes from the time the operator submerged. They launched their boat and rescue diver. The operator of the canoe was found by the rescue diver beneath the surface of the water on the bottom of the lake. 
The operator of the canoe was placed into the rescue boat and started receiving medical aid while being transported to shore. Once on shore, medical emergency personnel continued administering medical aid to the canoe operator and transported him to Saint Anthony''s Hospital in Rockford Illinois. The operator of the canoe was pronounced dead at the hospital by hospital staff.

The passenger who swam to the operator was thrown a boat fender ( bouy ) by another boater and then swam to shore. The other two passengers from the canoe hung on to it''s side and paddled their way to shore. On their way to shore, one of them was given a wearable Personal Floatation Device from a person in a kayak. This passenger slipped one arm through it and continued to shore. The other passenger was holding a Type IV Personal Floatation Device while holding on to the canoe.

None of the boaters were wearing a Personal Floatation Device when the canoe tipped over.
The passengers in the canoe later stated to me there were no wearable Personal Floatation Devices onboard the canoe and none were recovered after this incident. They did tell me they had three or four seat cushions with them in the canoe. Three Type IV Personal Floatation Devices were recovered after this incident. The three other passengers were treated by EMS on shore. They did not incur any physical injuries from this incident.

Loves Park                    