Body of teenager found in Wabash River

Garrett Drake and Jen Thompson

12 minutes ago

CLARK COUNTY, Ill. — The body of a 15-year-old boy was found in the Wabash River after an extensive search Saturday.

According to authorities, at 10:16 a.m., the Clark County Sheriff's Office and all available emergency response agencies were dispatched to the scene to treat a juvenile in distress in the Wabash River, southeast of West Union, Illinois.

According to a Facebook post from the Clark County Sheriff's Office, the juvenile was playing in the water with several family members and was swept away by the current.

According to the Sheriff's Office, at 2:05 p.m. CST, after an extensive search, the body of the 15-year-old juvenile from Merom, IN was found.

The Sheriff's Office provided an update, saying its thoughts and prayers were focused on the grieving family and friends affected by the incident.

The Clark County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Illinois State Police Troop 9, County of Clark IL E-911, Clark County Ambulance Service, West Union Fire Department, Crawford County Water Rescue and Sullivan County Sheriff's Department.

The Clark County Coroner's Office will follow up on the incident.

Previous update: According to a Facebook post from the Clark County Sheriff's Office, “The Ripple” area reopened at 3:20 p.m. CST Saturday. The post said additional, limited information from the office will follow once staff and resources return.

Original: Crawford County Dispatch confirmed a water search was underway on the Wabash River.

According to Crawford County Dispatch, Clark County requested assistance from the Crawford County Sheriff's Office on Saturday following a report of a water rescue from Clark County in an area known as “The Ripple.”

Search teams from Crawford County entered the river at the Hutsonville, Illinois boat ramp to assist in the search efforts.

Passersby in Merom, Indiana, noticed a helicopter patrolling upriver.

According to a Facebook post from the Clark County Sheriff's Office, an area around the river east of West Union is closed to the public.

“The Ripple,” an area located in and around the Wabash River east of West Union, is currently CLOSED to the public until further notice. There is no active danger to the public, but the area is necessary for emergency responders. Additional information regarding its reopening will be available once emergency services have cleared the area.

Clark County Sheriff's Office Facebook Post

This is a developing story. WTWO will provide more information as it becomes available.