The deaths of two men who were found in Pistakee Lake near Johnsburg after going missing Sunday are not considered suspicious, the sheriff’s office said.
McHenry Township Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Kevin Sears said the fire district received a call from the Will County Sheriff’s Office around 6 a.m. Sunday.
The Will County Sheriff’s Office said that two men were reported missing by family members and their last known location was near the Oak Park Lounge, 801 Oak Grove Road in Johnsburg.
Crews responded to the Oak Park Lounge and located a vehicle registered to one of the missing men.
Because of the vehicle’s proximity to Pistakee Lake, a shoreline search was started, Sears said.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was later activated to the second alarm to bring sonar equipment and fire department boats to the scene from Lake and McHenry counties.
Sears said that a unified command post was established at the scene to coordinate the efforts of the multi-agency response which included fire, emergency medical, water rescue and law enforcement agencies.
The two men were found dead in open water near Coon Island around 3 p.m. Sunday, Sears said.
Their bodies were recovered and turned over to the McHenry County Coroner’s Office, which is in the process of scheduling an autopsy on the men.
Approximately 15 fire departments responded to the scene along with the Johnsburg Police Department and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.
McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Communication Specialist Emily Matusek said on Monday the sheriff’s office has no indications that the deaths were suspicious.
The bodies were recovered with ice fishing gear, Matusek said, adding that it is unknown if the two were actively fishing at the time of their deaths.