Children who died on Wisconsin's Geneva Lake found in sunken boat, police say
Three children who died when a boat capsized on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin amid a sudden storm last week were found inside the sunken vessel, police said.
July 6, 2026 / 4:13 PM EDT / CBS Chicago
Seven people were rescued along with the three children who died when a strong storm blew into Walworth County Friday, causing the boat to take on water, capsize and eventually sink, the Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency said.
Police said their investigation found that the 25-foot 2024 Nautique P25 boat, which has a maximum capacity of 19 passengers, was being operated by a 47-year-old man with extensive boat experience. There were nine more passengers on board: a 75-year-old man, a 73-year-old woman, a 49-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman, a 12-year-old boy, a 10-year-old girl, a 7-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy.
The passengers were from Batavia and Wheaton in Illinois and Fontana, Wisconsin, police said. Investigators said all of the children on board were wearing life jackets.
Police said when the storm hit, the captain tried to find safe harbor but when he could, turned into the wind. The boat was struck by at least two large waves, causing it to take on a significant amount of water and to roll, capsizing the boat and sending all 10 people on board into the water. After capsizing, police said the boat quickly sank.