Two Naperville men found dead near Johnsburg were ice fishing, police say

More than a dozen departments made up of fire, police and county officials conducted a search for two missing men near Pistakee Lake Sunday, March 6, 2022.

Two Naperville men found dead Sunday in Pistakee Lake near Johsnburg were in the area ice fishing, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.

Robert “Justin” Clow, 31, and Theodor Wachter, 89, were publicly identified Tuesday by the McHenry County Coroner’s Office.

Their bodies were recovered with ice fishing gear nearby, sheriff’s office spokeswoman Emily Matusek said in an email. It was not known if they were actively fishing at the time of their deaths.

The two men were found in open water with no suspicion of foul play, Matusek said. The sheriff’s office does not investigate if no criminal activity is suspected.

The men were found about 3 p.m. Sunday near Coon Island, the McHenry Township Fire Protection District said in a news release Sunday. The fire district had been notified by the Will County Sheriff’s Office about 6 a.m. that day that the men had been reported missing by family members.

Oak Park Lounge, 801 W. Oak Grove Road in Johnsburg, was reported as a last known location of the men.

Autopsies were performed Tuesday, and toxicology reports were pending as of Tuesday, Coroner Michael Rein said.

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