Unidentified man died from drowning in Des Plaines River: coroner

A preliminary autopsy revealed a man whose body was found in the Des Plaines River on Monday drowned, according to the Will County Coroner’s Office.

The man has not been identified as of Tuesday afternoon, the coroner’s office said.

It’s unclear which agency is investigating the death of the unidentified man but Bolingbrook police and the coroner’s office said it is Illinois State Police.

ISP Trooper Gabriela Ugarte said ISP District 5 and Zone 3 Investigations were not handling the incident and recommended contacting the Bolingbrook police, Channahon police and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

IDNR Deputy Director Rachel Torbet said the Bolingbrook police was the investigating agency.

Bolingbrook police Lt. Anthony Columbus said the department has a report of a missing person, who may be the man who was found in the river but that has yet to be confirmed.

He said the case is under the jurisdiction of the ISP and Bolingbrook police are awaiting positive identification of the body.

A news release from the coroner’s office Tuesday morning said the man “was located in the Des Plaines River, 3/4 miles downstream from the Des Plaines River Bridge on the north side of the channel in Channahon.”

Channahon Deputy Police Chief Adam Bogart said his officers assisted Channahon Fire Protection District with recovering the body. He said his officers only assisted with escorting the body from the point of recovery in the river to the custody of the coroner’s office at the marina.

Two coroner officials did not respond to a call and message about the case.