Ottawa man drowns in Illinois River along Route 71

A 78-year-old man drowned Friday in the Illinois River, the La Salle County Coroner’s Office said in a Monday news release.

The coroner’s office was dispatched Friday to 1499 Route 71 after a man lost his footing and fell into the Illinois River near that address. The Ottawa River Rescue Squad recovered the man’s body, identified as Paul A. Forino, near the river’s edge. A Grand Ridge paramedic attempted life-saving measures. Grand Ridge and Ottawa fire departments responded to the scene.

A forensic investigative autopsy was conducted Sunday. Preliminary results are pending. The La Salle County Coroner’s Office and La Salle County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the drowning.