Search at Starved Rock State Park called off for Chicago man who went missing underwater

Firefighters have called off a search Monday for a 21-year-old Chicago man who went underwater in the Illinois River at Starved Rock State Park and didn’t resurface.

The Illinois Conservation Police will continue surface operations with assistance from the Ottawa and Peru river rescue teams in the next few days.

The Utica Fire Protection District was dispatched to the Starved Rock State Park boat launch at 1:16 p.m. Sunday. Utica firefighters arrived within seven minutes. Mutual Aid was requested from MABAS Division 25 Water Team, Oglesby Water Rescue, Peru and Ottawa River Rescue, Division 15 Water Rescue/Dive Team and Division 41 Dive Team and the Christian Aid Ministries Search and Rescue Team. Teams searched until dark Sunday and the search was called off because of safety concerns.

The search resumed at 6 a.m. Monday, and was called off at 2:30 p.m. after the area was throughly searched and because of the extreme weather conditions.