Fox River drowning victim identified
A 27-year-old Mount Prospect man was identified Monday as the swimmer who drowned the day before in the Fox River near Carpentersville.
An autopsy conducted Monday on the body of Emanuel Mendieta-Ramirez found the official cause of death to be drowning, according to a Carpentersville police and fire departments news release.
Authorities said Mendieta-Ramirez and two friends were fishing on the river Sunday morning when Mendieta-Ramirez and one of his friends talked about swimming across the river.
Though both men struggled with the river's current, the friend was a stronger swimmer and made it to a nearby island, where he was later rescued by fire department personnel, police said.
Mendieta-Ramirez could not overcome the current and was lost in the water near Angelina Place and Williams Road about 10 a.m., authorities said.
The third man in the group did not enter the water. police said.
Divers used sonar equipment during a search of the river Sunday afternoon. At 5 p.m., they recovered the swimmer's body.
Investigators from the police department and Kane County coroner's office said Monday they have concluded their initial investigation.