ROCHELLE – Police aren’t sure what happened to a local man who drowned while swimming in a lake near the interchange of Interstate 88 and 39 on Friday.
John Crenshaw, 40, of Rochelle, was swimming with a friend at Lake Sule when he dove under the water but didn’t come back up, said Eric Higby, Rochelle police chief.
Police do not suspect foul play, but are waiting for autopsy reports to determine whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the drowning, Higby said.
“It seems pretty straightforward,” he said. “We’re waiting on toxicology before we know for sure.”
Toxicology reports likely will be ready in about 4 weeks, Higby said.
The friend called 911 when Crenshaw failed to make it back to shore, Higby said. About an hour later, police dive teams pulled Crenshaw from the water, and he was taken to Rochelle Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Rochelle-Flagg Park District, which owns Lake Sule, prohibits swimming.
Swimming at Lake Sule hasn’t been a problem for police, Higby said, and this is the first drowning there he can remember.