Crime & Safety

Wheaton Teacher Helped Save Man from Fox River Following Kayak Accident

Firefighters were called to the Fox River in Geneva at 4:27 p.m. on April 19 after bystanders said the two men lost control of their kayak shortly after launching it on the river.

Two local residents who happened to be along the Fox River Sunday afternoon assisted Geneva firefighters in rescuing a man who lost control of his kayak Saturday afternoon, according to a city of Geneva press release. 

The 26-year-old man was transported by Geneva Fire Department paramedics to Delnor Hospital in Geneva where he was reported to be recovering, according to the news release. His friend, Dinesh Sudhakar-Uckoo, a 26-year-old from Bloomington, was in the two-person kayak with him and did not survive the accident. 

Mark Stankus and his wife, Karen, both of West Chicago, were along the Fox River on Sunday when they say the tragic incident unfold, according to the Daily Herald. Stankus, a teacher in Wheaton, said he saw the one man float downstream and ran after him before going into the water to get to him, according to the article. 

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Kevin O’Conner of Ottawa and Geneva firefighters also assisted in rescuing the man, according to the news release. 

Firefighters were called to the scene at 4:27 p.m. on April 19 after bystanders said the two men lost control of their kayak shortly after launching it on the Fox River.

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Sudhakar-Uckoo was recovered from a "boil" in front of the dam by rescuers from Geneva, Batavia, and St. Charles fire departments about two hours after the initial report. The patient was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene. 

The two men who went over the dam were from a group of six friends from the Bloomington area who had rented three two-person kayaks for a trip on the river. 

The four other friends were not injured and remained on the scene during recovery operations. They were provided assistance by staff members from the American Red Cross.

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A 26-year-old Bloomington man who died following a kayak accident on the Fox River in Geneva over the weekend has been identified as Dinesh Sudhakar-Uckoo, according to the Kane County Coroner. 

Sudhakar-Uckoo had come to the area Saturday to kayak with friends. Soon after launching his kayak, he became caught up in a dam near State Street in Geneva, according to a Kane County Coroner's Office press release. 

Another person in the kayak was able to "escape the turbulent flow," but Sudhakar-Uckoo was not, according to the news release. 

An autopsy was performed on Sudhakar-Uckoo and a preliminary cause of death was determined to be drowning pending results of toxicology, according to the Kane County Coroner. 

The drowning remains under investigation by the coroner's office and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conversation Police. 

The above information was updated on April 21. 
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: A 26-year-old Bloomington man died Saturday following a kayak trip down the Fox River in Geneva, according to the Chicago Tribune. 

Two men, both 26 years old, lost control of their two-person kayak around 4:30 p.m. and were taken by "a strong current over a river dam."  One of the men was found two hours later in an area of the river known as the "boil" in front of the dam, according to hear article. 

The man was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene, according to NBC Chicago. 

Another individual was found unconscious and was floating down the river when he was rescued by Geneva paramedics and two bystanders and taken to an area hospital where he was reportedly recovering, according to the article. 

The name of the men involved in the accident has not been released, according to the Bloomington Pantagraph. The men were a part of a group of six friends who had traveled from the Bloomington area to kayak the Fox River Saturday, according to the article.

The other four individuals in the group were not injured in the accident, according to the article. 


The above information was updated on April 22. 
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A 26-year-old Bloomington man who died following a kayak accident on the Fox River in Geneva over the weekend has been identified as Dinesh Sudhakar-Uckoo, according to the Kane County Coroner. 

Sudhakar-Uckoo had come to the area Saturday to kayak with friends. Soon after launching his kayak, he became caught up in a dam near State Street in Geneva, according to a Kane County Coroner's Office press release. 

Another person in the kayak was able to "escape the turbulent flow," but Sudhakar-Uckoo was not, according to the news release. 

An autopsy was performed on Sudhakar-Uckoo and a preliminary cause of death was determined to be drowning pending results of toxicology, according to the Kane County Coroner. 

The drowning remains under investigation by the coroner's office and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conversation Police. 

The above information was updated on April 21. 
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: A 26-year-old Bloomington man died Saturday following a kayak trip down the Fox River in Geneva, according to the Chicago Tribune. 

Two men, both 26 years old, lost control of their two-person kayak around 4:30 p.m. and were taken by "a strong current over a river dam."  One of the men was found two hours later in an area of the river known as the "boil" in front of the dam, according to hear article. 

The man was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene, according to NBC Chicago. 

Another individual was found unconscious and was floating down the river when he was rescued by Geneva paramedics and two bystanders and taken to an area hospital where he was reportedly recovering, according to the article. 

The name of the men involved in the accident has not been released, according to the Bloomington Pantagraph. The men were a part of a group of six friends who had traveled from the Bloomington area to kayak the Fox River Saturday, according to the article.

The other four individuals in the group were not injured in the accident, according to the article. 


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