THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE STORY BY JENNIFER BAILEY
DANVILLE — The challenges in finding a 12-year-old boy who went missing while swimming in the Vermilion River on Monday night have been many, local law enforcement officials say.
Thursday marked day four in the search.
“This is a needle in a haystack situation,” said Vermilion County Sheriff’s Department Chief Investigator Michael Hartshorn. “Obviously being a river, there’s all types of obstacles, fallen trees, holes in the river.”
Just from the current riverbed, it may be 3 to 4 feet deep in one area and a 10-feet deep hole a little farther away, he said.
“Those are hard to see with the sonar,” he said.
They will send divers down, too, but they too are “fighting the current down there,” Hartshorn said. There can be zero visibility and they have to feel around, he said.
Danville Police along with the Vermilion County Sheriff’s Department and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources are taking part in the search.
Hartshorn didn’t have a number of law enforcement personnel involved with the search, adding that conservation police also have been assisting.
“There’s a lot of support behind the scenes in moving equipment,” he added.
Law enforcement officials each morning have started the search and had someone on the river at least by 8 a.m. They have asked the public to stay away and off the river due to the dangers of more people possibly ending up getting swept away.
Hartshorn said there are many obstructions in the river, hindering their search. The obstructions can include railroad ties and old submerged docks.
He said a lot of flow had been coming through from the rain this week. There also were significant log jams which narrow the river and force a stronger current through that area.
“There’s just so much structure,” he said.
They too “have really good sonar and it’s giving us great images,” he said.
But it can be hard to overcome all the obstacles.
“Those are the things that we are facing,” Hartshorn said. “That’s the nature of the river in general with the current flow.”
“Unfortunately this has been a longer one,” he added of the search. “We have scoured this river and checked every nook and cranny with sonar.”
Officials were again combing the river Thursday with sonar equipment and an air boat.
He said they don’t know if the 12-year-old traveled with the current. They’ve been searching in the area where he went into the water to miles away near Red Bridge in Grape Creek by the Danville Sanitary District.
Hartshorn said in their and the conservation police’s opinions, it would be a low possibility that the juvenile would have made his way farther due to all the obstacles in the river.
They have checked farther to Forest Glen Preserve in Westville, and may go farther south, Hartshorn said.
On Thursday, local law enforcement still were searching visibly and with sonar, and they were going back over the same area too, he said.
The 12-year-old juvenile went missing while swimming in the Vermilion River with friends.
At 8:11 p.m. Monday, Danville police were notified that the 12-year-old had gone missing in the Vermilion River near the western end of Commercial Street.
Officers began looking for the boy, who they were told had been swimming near the riverbank when he was overcome by the current and pulled under the water.
They were unable to locate the boy and requested assistance from the Vermilion County Sheriff’s Department Dive Team at 8:16 p.m. The dive team responded with a boat to continue the search, but efforts had to be suspended around 10:15 p.m. due to the inclement weather.
The search resumed at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Boats and divers have been deployed at the scene and have continued searching the area.
Members of the public also have assisted in the search but are being cautioned not to enter the river due to unsafe conditions.
Anyone who has information regarding this incident is asked to call Danville police at 217-431-2250. Those wishing to remain anonymous can contact Vermilion County Crime Stoppers at 217-446-8477 or vccrimestoppers.org.
FOR FULL ACCESS TO THE NEWS-GAZETTE STORY PLEASE GO TO https://www.news-gazette.com/news/many-challenges-in-continuing-search-for-12-year-old-in-danville/article_b47a0648-4515-11ef-af9b-f765fe4e56fe.html
THE FOLLOWING IS A DANVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT RELEASE
The Danville Police Department, Vermilion County Sheriff’s Office (VCSO), and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) are continuing the search for the 12-year-old juvenile who went missing while swimming in the Vermilion River on Monday evening, July 15, 2024.
On-water resources continue to search the river from the point the juvenile was last seen and to the east downriver. The challenges of a river search continue. Heavy rain last week as well as early this week continues to produce a strong current and hazardous conditions. The community has been very helpful in offering support during the search and cooperating with emergency and law enforcement personnel by staying clear of the riverbanks to avoid interference or by also putting themselves at risk.
We are still asking for the public to stay out of the river in the search area due to the remaining strong current and additional risks of the under-surface holes, drop-offs, trees, jagged rocks and debris jams. However, observation from safe banks along the river is acceptable if proper caution is used. We want to avoid additional risk to members of our community.
This is a difficult time for our community and especially those directly affected such as family and friends of the missing juvenile as well as the witnesses. We ask for continued support for everyone impacted.
The Danville Police Department will continue to provide information as it changes. Anyone who has information regarding this incident is asked to call the Danville Police Department at (217)431-2250. Anonymous information can be sent to Vermilion County Crimestoppers at (217) 446-TIPS.
