‘They’re in shock’: Family mourns death of Streamwood man pulled from Centennial Beach in Naperville

Manuel Rosales-Yajure, a married father and professional barber, visited Centennial Beach in Naperville last Thursday.

The 27-year-old was with friends. The four of them started swimming toward the center platform of the deep end, but he never made it.

“Three of them arrive, and there's no Manny, and they're looking around, you know, ‘Where, where's Manny?’ And the last time they saw him, it was almost like he took a breath and took like a dive into the water, to swim underwater, to the platform,” his family’s attorney Edward Witas said.

He was pulled unresponsive from the water and was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, according to police and the DuPage County coroner’s office.

Rosales-Yajure leaves behind an 8-year-old daughter.

“I think they're in shock,” said Witas, who was retained by the family to “look into and question the safety protocols that the park district is employing” at Centennial Beach, a former quarry.

Police were dispatched at about 5:43 p.m. that Thursday to the facility for a report of a missing person last seen in the deep end. At around 6:06 p.m., lifeguards recovered an unresponsive man from the water, police said.

According to police, the initial investigation indicates that the man had entered the water with a group of friends to swim to a floating dock in the middle of the deep end.

Upon arriving at the dock, the group noticed he was no longer with them. After searching the immediate area, they returned to shore to continue their search. Lifeguards were “eventually notified and activated their missing person protocols,” police said.

Rosales-Yajure was a “strong swimmer,” Witas said.

“Based on the eyewitness testimony that we've seen so far, and also based on some social media video clips that we have, lifeguards really did not jump into action,” he said.

The park district released a statement Monday.

“Our deepest condolences are with the family and loved ones,” it read. “While we do not agree with statements being made by the attorney, we will not speculate, or comment publicly but instead will continue to cooperate with the police investigation into the matter. We remain confident in the safety of Centennial Beach and our skilled team of lifeguards at the facility.”

The Venezuelan-born man and his family came to the United States two years ago on political asylum, their attorney said.

“He had this dream of putting this barber shop together, and him and three of his associates started this shop, and they just got the door open last October,” Witas said.

That shop on Lake Street in Addison was packed with a memorial gathering for Rosales-Yajure.

“Manny was, without question, a shining light in his community. He was a good husband. He was an unbelievable father to this little girl."

A GoFundMe page has been created to support his daughter’s future.