Lake Villa man identified as boater who drowned in Chain O' Lakes Sunday night
Authorities have identified a Lake Villa man who died after falling into the chilly Chain O' Lakes.
Joseph Benedetto, 60, was reaching over the side of a boat to retrieve a hat when he lost his footing and fell into the water, Lake County Deputy Coroner Orlando Portillo said Monday. Portillo said Benedetto's official cause of death was drowning.
Antioch Assistant Fire Chief Chris Lienhardt said rescuers were called to Stanton Bay on Fox Lake at 4:47 p.m. Sunday for a report of a person in the water.
Lienhardt said Benedetto did not resurface after falling into the water. He said boaters circled around to pick up the victim, before calling for help from the Lake County Sheriff's Marine Unit.
Lienhardt said the fire department switched from a rescue dive to a recovery about 6 p.m., one hour after Benedetto disappeared.
Side scan sonar was called in to assist in the search, and the victim's body was recovered about 9:26 p.m., he said. Benedetto was declared dead at the scene by the Lake County Coroner's Office.