Mendota man found dead in Vermilion River in Deer Park Township

A 60-year-old Mendota man was found dead Tuesday in the Vermilion River downstream from the Low Head Dam in Deer Park Township.

The man was identified as Ralph W. Frey, the La Salle County Coroner’s Office said in a Wednesday press release.

The incident is under investigation by the La Salle County Coroner’s Office and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police. An autopsy will be conducted as part of the investigation, the coroner’s office said.

Authorities from several departments conducted a search Tuesday on the Vermilion River. An abandoned kayak was found by a fisherman about 11:45 a.m. Tuesday as authorities were contacted and the search immediately began. Police officials saw the kayak idle and the items contained within it appeared not to have been disturbed.

Conservation Police officers searched upstream of the canoe launch and at about 12:53 p.m. located the body of the victim in the river about 400 yards downstream of the low head dam.  The body was recovered by CPOs and personnel from the IDNR fire team, Oglesby, Streator, Utica and Ottawa fire departments, and Oglesby police.