Crime & Safety

2 Bodies Recovered after Boat Accident on Cal-Sag

The search continues for up to three more people, ABC7 reports.

Two bodies have been recovered after a barge allegedly collided with a small pleasure boat in the Cal-Sag Channel Friday night. 

The bodies are that of a male and a female, the Chicago Tribune reports. One of the victims is identified as Vee Bielarz; her husband Bob Bielarz, who owned the boat, is still missing. The male is identified as Jeremy Muzika, ABC7 reports. 

The collision happened around 11 p.m. near 115th and Harlem Avenue. Responders found the boat overturned, but no passengers nearby. The mission was changed from a search-and-rescue, to a recovery operation Saturday afternoon. 

"We're looking at it as that there were five people on board until we can prove otherwise," said Sgt. Bill Shannon, Illinois Conservation Police told ABC7. 

"We're going to keep on trying to search the waterway recover the victims and also investigate the casualty to make sure nothing like this occurs again on our waterways," said Commanding Officer Jason Neubauer, U.S. Coast Guard.

This story is developing. Check back for more.

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