Victim identified in apparent Pistakee Lake drowning
Authorities are awaiting the results of an upcoming autopsy to determine how a 58-year-old man died Monday after apparently falling from a boat or dock into the shallow waters of a Pistakee Lake inlet near Ingleside.
McHenry County Coroner Anne Majewski on Tuesday morning identified the man as Daniel G. Schwenk of South suburban Burbank.
Though the circumstances strongly suggest a drowning, Majewski said an autopsy and toxicology will be performed within next 24 hours to officially determine cause of death, and preliminary results should be available Wednesday. No foul play is suspected, she added.
Authorities say Fox Lake firefighters were called about 5:15 p.m. to a home on the 35000 block of Marine Drive after Schwenk was found floating face down in water near a pier.
Fire officials said Schwenk and a friend, Brian E. Kane of Oak Lawn, had tied a 16-foot boat to the pier a short time earlier. Kane went inside the home for about 10 minutes, leaving Schwenk in the boat, according to Lake County sheriff's police. When Kane returned, he found Schwenk floating near the boat.
Schwenk was pulled from the water unresponsive and rushed to Centegra McHenry Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 9 p.m. Monday.
A Fox Lake fire official said Monday night it appeared Schwenk hit his head on either the boat or dock before falling into the water.