Short fall at Starved Rock State Park leads to a hospital visit

Waterfalls are great to look at but they can be dangerous if you’re not careful.

Utica firefighters were called out to Wildcat Canyon Sunday night just after 7:30 for a man who fell about five feet and broke his ankle. He slipped and fell at the waterfall.

The man who was taken across the river by boat and then taken to Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru. His name hasn’t been released yet.

River rescue crews called out to Vermillion River on Sunday

The Vermillion River wasn’t without its exciting moments over the holiday weekend.

Firefighters and paramedics from Tonica, Oglesby and Utica got called around one Sunday afternoon for a river rescue call near the Wildcat Rapids. By time they arrived, the person in need of help was already on shore.

According to an Oglesby police dispatcher, the person was taken to Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru.

Search for apparent drowning victim continues

The search resumes Monday morning for a 33-year-old man from Aurora who swam off the back of a boat and never came back up.

Conservation Police Sgt. Hank Frazier says four others with the man saw him go under Saturday afternoon around one. Search teams from all across northern Illinois spent large parts of Saturday and Sunday looking for man.

The search has focused in an area of the Illinois River about 3/4 of a mile east of Seneca.

Ottawa man performs water rescue Saturday

Do you know Mark Koch, a boater from Ottawa? Koch is a hero for saving a Utica man and his son near Starved Rock late Saturday afternoon.

Sgt. Hank Frazier is with District Conservation Police. He told Classic Hits 103-9 WLPO” news 35-year old Travis Breeden and his 6 year old son were in a large jon boat upstream of the Park boat ramp. For an unknown reason the boat made a sharp right turn ejecting father and son into the Illinois River. Breeden and his son had to evade the unmanned boat at least twice – pushing themselves under water. It was then that Koch’s pontoon blocked the unmanned boat – taking 3 hits before Breeden and son could be rescued.

The motor on the jon boat eventually stopped. A dog on the jon boat was uninjured.

Iowa inmate caught north of Geneseo

An Iowa inmate’s escape ends with his capture north of Geneseo Sunday morning.  

Illinois State Police’s Jason Wilson said they were notified about 7:30 Monday morning that Justin James Kestner was missing from the Iowa Fort Madison prison. A vehicle likely stolen by Kestner was found by the Henry County Sheriff’s Department.

About 9:50am, during a search, Kestner was spotted by a Trooper walking Illinois Route 82, a half mile south of I-80. He fled into a cornfield but was captured when he came out.

Fireworks possession brings arrests

   Were you watching the fireworks in your community? Some shooting fireworks off Saturday night saw lights resembling those seen on police cars.

Adam Poutre’s fireworks got poor reviews and the sheriff’s office heard about them. The 36-year old Poutre of Ottawa was arrested after 9pm Saturday night for violating the pyrotechnic use act. He went to the county jail.

People with fireworks in LaSalle revealed themselves enough for the LaSalle police to step in over the weekend. Charged with possession of illegal fireworks Sunday morning was 50-year old Elias Vasquez. Saturday night, Donald Billings and Saturday morning,  74-year old Scott Lehman was charged for setting off fireworks at the entrance to the LaSalle Police station. All arrested were from LaSalle and given notices to appear.