Girl, 7, swims to shore after boat capsizes in Illinois

A seven-year-old girl swam to safety after a tragic boating accident in an Illinois lake that left her grandfather and great-grandfather dead.

The two men, identified as Clarence B. Royster, 80, of Gary, Indiana, and Clarence B. Royster III, 53, of Merrillville, Indiana, were pronounced dead after their bodies were recovered from the LaSalle Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area in Marseilles on Sunday, the LaSalle County Coroner said.

After receiving a 911 call about a distressed boater shortly after 12 pm, police responded and found a 17-foot Crestliner capsized on the 2,000-acre lake, which can produce ‘extremely hazardous conditions,’ according to a state wildlife agency.

Neither of the men were wearing life jackets, police said. The girl, who was wearing a life jacket, was able to swim to shore and received aid from visitors who helped her contact her mother and grandmother. 

The men’s bodies were found around 7:45 pm.

A seven-year-old girl swam to safety after a tragic boating accident in an Illinois lake that left her grandfather and great-grandfather dead

The lake is located south about 84 miles southwest of Chicago, and is known by locals for its waves and hazardous conditions, the Illinois Department of Natural resources has warned

An investigation into what caused the accident is ongoing. 

The manmade lake, located south about 84 miles southwest of Chicago, is surrounded by levees, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

This construction ‘can result in extremely hazardous conditions for unwary boaters,’ a guide from the department reads. 

‘The surface condition of the lake can change very rapidly and wave action can be excessive,’ the guide adds.