Morris man dies in Kankakee River canoe accident
WILMINGTON, Ill. - Authorities say they have identified a 20-year-old northeastern Illinois man who drowned after a canoeing accident on the Kankakee River.
The Will County coroner's office says Dean Fredericks of Morris was pronounced dead after 1 a.m. Wednesday. That was hours after the canoe in which Fredericks was riding with three other men capsized about 500 yards downstream from the Des Plaines Conservation Area boat launch.
Authorities say the other canoeists managed to swim to shore and survived.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources spokesman Chris Young says conservation police were called to help with the search about 9:45 p.m. Tuesday. He says a boat crew from the Wilmington Fire Protection District pulled the victim's body from the water.
Conservation police from the Department of Natural Resources are investigating.