11-year-old girl is still missing

UTICA — As of Monday afternoon, the search continued for a girl reported missing in the Illinois River.

According to Chris McCloud, a spokesman for the Illinois Conservation Police, Utica Police and the Illinois Conservation Police were called about 5:36 p.m. Saturday to the Illinois River about one-half mile below the Starved Rock Lock and Dam along Dee Bennet Road for a report of an 11-year-old female in the water and missing.

McCloud said that a Chicago family, including their 11-year-old daughter, were fishing along the Illinois River. The children were playing at the water’s edge when the girl fell into the river. McCloud said one of the children threw a small log to the girl, to no avail. The father jumped into the river in an attempt to rescue his daughter, also to no avail, and she submerged.

Utica Fire, Ottawa and Peru River Rescue and the Illinois Conservation Police conducted a search for the missing girl. Two sonar boats from the Conservation Police were immediately brought to the scene to assist in the search. The initial search was called off at 10:30 p.m., and then conducted again on Sunday, with no results.

The search resumed Monday morning with the aid of a third sonar boat from the Illinois Conservation Police along with a dive team on stand-by.

According to the National Weather Service, the river exceeded its 20-foot flood stage on Saturday, and the river level has remained well above the 19-foot mark since then.

McCloud said no information on the missing girl or family is being released at this time, and as of Monday afternoon, the LaSalle County Coroner’s office said there was no additional information available at this time.

Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.