Authorities identify victims of boat capsizing in Lake Michigan near Port Washington

A fishing boat that capsized in Lake Michigan near Port Washington on July 15 has been found and authorities have identified the two people who died in the incident and the one who survived.

The two who died have been identified as 50-year-old Brian Weinski and his girlfriend 51-year-old Erin Hartman, both from Machesney Park, Illinois, according to an updated release from the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Department sent July 30.

The person who survived the incident was identified as 26-year-old Karl Saladino from Beloit. He had been wearing a life jacket, according to the U.S. Coast Guard .

On July 15, the sheriff's office had received reports from the U.S. Coast Guard of a 17-foot fishing boat in distress, sinking in Lake Michigan near Port Washington, according to a previous news release from the office.

Rescue boats located three people in the water: one was semi-conscious and breathing, and the other two were unconscious and not breathing. All three were transported to the Aurora Medical Center in Grafton.

Lifesaving efforts were conducted by rescue personnel on the two unconscious victims, but were unsuccessful.

Three days later, around 6:30 p.m., a boater on Lake Michigan discovered an unoccupied and overturned boat around 5 miles north of the Port Washington Marina and 1 mile offshore.

After the boater reported his discovery, the Ozaukee County Emergency Management Rescue Boat located the boat and determined it was the same boat involved in the July 15 incident. It had been registered to one of the deceased victims.

According to the sheriff's office, the boat, a 2008 Triton, Model 177, had been facing 2- to 4-foot waves and water temperatures around 53 degrees. The boat was reported to have been taking on water when a wave struck the side, overturning it.

The boat had previously been submerged prior to the rescue, which is why it had not been located, authorities said.

Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13 .

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Authorities identify victims of boat capsizing in Lake Michigan near Port Washington