Two boaters died on
Saturday after their craft struck a Lake Michigan break wall in east
Chicago, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources said.
The victims were
identified as Timothy Dunlap, 62, of Lynwood, Ill., and Richard Wade, 68, of
Hammond.
According to the
DNR, early Saturday morning Dunlap, Wade, and one other unidentified person
were in the boat when it hit a break wall near the East Chicago Marina and
ArcelorMittal’s Indiana Harbor facility.
“Reduced
visibility, speed, and alcohol are believed to be contributing factors,” the
DNR said. “The investigation is ongoing and Conservation Officers are
utilizing a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to search the crash site for the
possibility of any additional victims.”
Responding to the
scene to assist in the initial search-and-rescue operation, at 5:52 a.m.
Saturday, was the Porter Fire Department’s dive team, Fire Chief Lewis Craig
told the Chesterton Tribune today. The PFD cleared the scene at 7:37
a.m.
The AP, meanwhile,
was reporting today that one of the victims, Wade, was a retired firefighter
and former leader of the Lake County Marine Unit.
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