Kayakers on cleanup find man's remains in northern Illinois

OSWEGO, Ill. (AP) - Authorities are trying to identify the remains of a man found by kayakers in a river in northern Illinois.

Doug Bosco said he was "shocked" Saturday when he pulled on a boot that was snagged in debris. There were bones inside. He and fellow paddler George Stenitzer then found more bones and a skull.

"I noticed there was an upside boot that was snagged. A lot of times you find old boots that get stuck," Bosco said. "I pulled and pulled, and finally got part of it and noticed there was a sock inside, and then I saw leg bones inside."

They were on the Fox River in Kendall County with a group called the Prairie State Canoeists.

Bosco told The Beacon-News that he regularly participates in river cleanups and figured "something like this would happen."

"It goes with the territory when you are out there," he said.

The investigation is ongoing, and the Kendall County Coroner's Office and Loyola University are assisting, Kendall County sheriff's spokeswoman Nancy Velez said Sunday. The Loyola University Medical Center has an oral health unit with dental, oral and maxillofacial specialists, according to the school's website.

Officials also seek assistance from the public in helping identify the remains.

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Information from: The Beacon-News, http://beaconnews.chicagotribune.com/