Hanover Park man identified as kayaker who died on the Fox River in St. Charles

The body of a missing kayaker was recovered early Thursday, according to the city of St. Charles.

A passerby found the body around 5:58 a.m. near the Great Western Trail Bridge over the Fox River, the city reported.

Thursday night, Kane County Coroner Monica Silva announced the man was Taylor Russell, 25, of Hanover Park. Her news release said the preliminary cause of death is drowning.

Friends and family of the victim planned to gather Thursday evening at Ferson Creek Fen for a candlelight vigil and balloon release, according to a Facebook post by the man’s wife. The fen is on the west side of the river, off Route 31.

Russell went missing shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday. He and a friend were fishing from a kayak in an area just south of Ferson Creek Fen. His kayak capsized when a motorboat passed by.

On Wednesday, the police stated they were unsure of what happened, but indicated that the wake from the boat may have caused the kayak to capsize.

A man claiming to be the second kayaker told ABC7 Chicago that the motorboat was speeding and lacked lights.

The St. Charles Fire Department led the two-day search, with aid from almost 30 other departments.

A relative has organized a GoFundMe.com fund-raiser for his wife and his three stepchildren.