Grandfather, great-grandfather die fishing with 7-year-old when boat capsizes, cops say

A 7-year-old girl was the only survivor when a fishing boat capsized with the child’s grandfather and great-grandfather on board, Illinois police say.

The three family members were on a 17-foot fishing boat at LaSalle Lake on Sunday, Aug. 18, when the vessel began capsizing, according to an Illinois Conservation Police news release. Only the girl was wearing a life jacket.

After officers were dispatched to the lake for a report of a “distressed boater,” they found the girl being aided by park visitors on the shore, police said. Her grandfather and great-grandfather were still in the water, and police said they had not resurfaced.

More than seven hours later, a search team found the bodies of the two men, according to police.

The 53-year-old grandfather and 80-year-old great-grandfather — both from Indiana — were pronounced dead at the scene, the news release states.

It’s unclear what caused the boat to capsize, police said. An investigation is ongoing.

LaSalle Lake, considered popular among anglers, is a 2,000-acre manmade lake near Marseilles, about an 80-mile drive southwest from Chicago.