Bodies of missing boaters recovered on Lake Michigan

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The bodies of two missing boaters on Lake Michigan have been recovered, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Elk Grove residents, Eduardo Rivera, Jr., 45, and Salvador Lopez, 32, went missing after jumping into the water near Whiting, Indiana.

On July 5, the two men were initially on board a boat with a group of 12 people when Lopez jumped into the water. He began to struggle, and according to officials, Rivera jumped in to help but couldn't.

Then, a third man put on a life jacket and jumped into the water, but was unable to get to the other men. The three men became separated from the boat because of the water conditions.

The two men went under and never resurfaced, according to officials.

The third man was rescued.

On Friday, the bodies of Rivera and Lopez were recovered about 1.5 miles from where they were last seen.

“We received a call from a fisherman that was out on Lake Michigan on a boat that believed they had located a body in the water. We responded as well as the Lake County Marine Unit and our patrol boat was able to take possession of the body that was in the water,” said Alex Neel, of the Indiana DNR.

Neel said Lopez’s body was discovered nearby.

(WBBM’s Jim Gudas contributed to this report.)

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