Vermilion County Coroner Jane McFadden has identified a man who drowned Sunday night in the Vermilion River, near Oakwood. She says the victim is 27-year-old Dustan J. Haase of Westville. Chief Vermilion County Sheriff’s Investigator Michael Hartshorn says Haase was one of three people who were kayaking Sunday evening when they ran into trouble at a log jam at about 6:30 p.m.
Captain Hartshorn says a male and female were rescued after they were able to get on top of a log jam. But the 27-year-old went underwater and did not resurface. Hartshorn says the victim’s body was recovered shortly before 7:30 this (Monday) morning.
Vermilion County Sheriff’s Deputies, Illinois State Conservation Officers, and firefighters and medical personnel were on the scene Sunday night for the search effort. It was suspended overnight and then resumed early today and that is when Haase’s body was located.
The location where the drowning occurred is near where some work is being done on the Interstate 74 bridge over the river. The Coroner says a person who was doing some work on the bridge witnessed the tragedy and immediately called for help.
