A destructive storm swept through southern Wisconsin on Friday, resulting in three fatalities after a boat capsized on Geneva Lake. Seven individuals were rescued from the water.
The incident occurred around 12:10 p.m. as the storm system moved across Walworth County. Emergency dispatchers received calls reporting a capsized boat with multiple people in distress.
City of Lake Geneva police and the Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency responded, successfully pulling seven people from the water. However, three individuals could not be saved and their bodies were later recovered, according to Walworth County Undersheriff Tom Hausner.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of the deceased, but sources indicated they were children. The Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are jointly investigating the capsizing.
Walworth County, which normally has a population of about 106,000, sees its numbers swell to over 200,000 visitors on holiday weekends like the Fourth of July. Hausner noted that the storm placed unprecedented stress on emergency resources, prompting an emergency call-in of off-duty deputies and mutual aid requests from surrounding counties and state agencies.
City of Lake Geneva Mayor Todd Krause issued an emergency declaration at 12:18 p.m. The storm brought high winds and heavy rains, causing downed power lines, toppled trees, damaged buildings, and crushed vehicles. Several storm-related injuries were reported, leading area hospitals to enact diversions due to the volume of patients.