Reports of a drowning at Sheboygan’s Jaycee Quarry Park on Tuesday ended tragically shortly before noon on Wednesday. That’s when the body of a 13-year-old boy was located in about 40 feet of water, not far from where he reportedly jumped in around 22 hours earlier.
Courtesy of the Sheboygan Fire Department
The first call to action drew multiple teams within minutes, initially hoping to make a safe rescue. After an hour-and-a-half it was apparent that a recovery operation would have to take over. The search was suspended overnight on Tuesday, resumed Wednesday morning, and the victim was located at around 11:50 AM. And although the events ended tragically, it wasn’t for a lack of effort, and plenty of assistance was afforded from far and wide.
Courtesy of the Sheboygan Fire Department
Help came from the Sheboygan DPW, the County Sheriff’s Office, the Sheboygan County Dive and Drone Teams. Also contributing to the operation were the Green Bay Police Department Dive Team, the Calumet and Manitowoc County Dive Teams, the Wisconsin DNR, the Milwaukee Fire Department, K-9 search teams, and finally from Sheboygan Police and Fire Department chaplains.
Officials said that the area involved had complex topography, plentiful debris and many obstacles under water making sonar searching ineffective. Diver-based searches became the only option, and even they became entangled at times, but they were eventually successful.
Courtesy of the Sheboygan Fire Department
Sheboygan Fire Chief Eric Montellano urged everyone to prioritize water safety as the summer season progresses. That includes wearing a Coast Guard-approved life jacket, never swimming alone, and remaining within designated swimming areas.
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