Three children died after a private motorboat capsized and sank in Lake Geneva, located in the southeastern part of the US state of Wisconsin.
The serious incident occurred on Friday afternoon, July 3, 2026, during the passage of an extremely powerful and sudden storm in the region. As of 7:40 a.m. Bulgarian time on July 4, 2026, rescue teams concluded the search operation, with a total of 10 people on board the vessel.
How did the incident occur?
According to the official statement of the Lake Geneva Police Department, six adults and four children were traveling on the boat. When the weather deteriorated sharply, the crew tried to steer the vessel to a safe harbor.
However, winds with speeds between 80 and 100 km/h (50-60 mph) and huge waves quickly filled the boat with water, which led to its capsizing and subsequent sinking in the area of \u200b\u200bthe “Big Foot Beach“ State Park (Big Foot Beach State Park).
The rescue operation
The first rescue teams that arrived on the scene managed to pull seven people – the six adults and one of the children. The remaining three children, however, were declared missing.
After an intensive search of the lake, the bodies of the three missing children were located and brought to shore. Despite immediate resuscitation efforts on site and during their transportation, doctors at local hospitals only declared them dead. Authorities confirmed that all four children on board were wearing life jackets at the time of the incident.
Regional disaster
The storm caused extensive property damage throughout Walworth County (Walworth County). Deputy Sheriff Tom Hausner reported hundreds of calls to emergency services for downed trees, downed power lines, crushed cars and people trapped in damaged buildings. Lake Geneva Mayor Todd Krause officially declared a state of emergency.
The incident coincides with the start of the July 4th holiday weekend, when the population of the lake area, a popular tourist destination, doubles to more than 200,000. Due to the large number of injuries from the storm throughout the region, local hospitals are overwhelmed.
Investigation
The investigation into the tragedy is being conducted jointly by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Lake Geneva Law Enforcement Agency. The identities and exact ages of the children who died have not yet been released until their next of kin have been notified.
Authorities urged all citizens to closely monitor weather forecasts, as severe thunderstorm warnings remain in effect for the Midwest throughout the weekend.
Sources: The New York Times, CBS, FOX6, WPR, AP