At approximately 7:16 am, a mother stated that her son and another person had gone catfishing for the night at Highland Silver Lake.  The son's wife stated she spoke to him at about 1:00 am and asked him to come home.  Husband said they were getting ready to head home.  At about 5:00 am, mother awoke and realized that her son was not home.  They tried calling him but he would not answer.  The wife and girlfriend of other person, went to the boat ramp at the lake and found his truck and the boat trailer.  They then contacted Highland PD.  A park worker and Highland officer went out on the lake and located the boat floating capsized near duck blind #3 about 3/4 of a mile north of the boat ramp along the East bank of the lake.  The officer secured the area and anchored the boat at the location.  Illinois Conservation Police were contacted and dispatched to the scene.  Conservation Police started a sonar search at 10:11 am.  The first subject was located by sonar at 10:18 am and was recovered at 10:35 am.  The second subject was located by sonar at 12:31 pm and was recovered at 12:41 pm.  The boat is in the custody of the Illinois Conservation Police pending an investigation.  The conclusion of the investigator is that the vessel was small and narrow and the modifcations made to it would have significantly altered the boat's center of gravity.  The deck allowed at least one passenger to be high in the boat making it more unstable.  The added weight of the deck and the pedestal seats would also make the boat unstable.  At some point, the boat capsized throwing the fishermen into the water.  The weather was cold and the victims clothing, when wet, added considerable weight making it difficult to swim.  The cold water temperature would also cause hypothermia to set in quickly.  The weather conditions at the time of the accident were clear and calm so would not have been a factor in the accident.  The bodies were not discovered with pfd's.;
Highland                      