LAKE GENEVA, Wis. — Three children are dead after a boat capsized on Geneva Lake during a fast-moving, dangerous storm Friday afternoon. They were all wearing life jackets.
The Geneva Lake Police said the storm moved rapidly and produced hazardous boating conditions, catching lakegoers and boaters off guard.
Magnolia Smoak, who was visiting Lake Geneva with her family, said they had just arrived at Big Foot Beach Park along Geneva Lake when the weather changed extremely quickly.
"In the 10 minutes we hadn't looked out over the water while we were taking things out of the car, it just completely changed," Smoak explained. "It was terrifying. I mean, within seconds it was here."
Smoak and others TMJ4 News talked to said they didn't get any emergency alerts on their phones until the storm was already over the lake.
"It was quite alarming. It came on very sudden. Started off sudden wind and it just came here and got here fast, real fast," Joseph Roberts, who was visiting from the Appleton area, said.
"White caps everywhere on the water," Roberts described.
As many visitors sought shelter on land during the storm, once it was over, witnesses said emergency vehicles swarmed the beach front.
"We saw some, you know, police cars pull up, and then over the course of the next hour more and more," Smoak said.
"They had scuba divers here the last couple hours," Roberts added.
Law enforcement confirmed late Friday night that 10 people were out on Geneva Lake in a privately owned recreational boat. Officials said there were six adults and four children on the boat at the time.
Police said the vessel was overwhelmed by severe wind and waves, took on water, capsized, and sank. Emergency responders quickly initiated rescue operations.
Six adults and one child were successfully rescued from the water. Three children were later located and recovered from the lake. Life saving measures were administered at the scene and continued by emergency personnel on the way to the hospital. Despite those efforts, police said three children were pronounced dead.
"Our hearts are all kinda broken and everybody here on the beach is just kinda stunned right now," Roberts said.
"It's terrible. I mean, you kinda think about these things and say oh it'll never happen to me, I'll never know anyone who does it, and then when it does it's just unthinkable," Smoak said.
The investigation is still underway.
Law Enforcement is reminding everyone how quickly severe weather can develop on waterways and are strongly urging boaters to closely monitor weather forecasts, remain vigilant of changing atmospheric conditions, and seek safe harbor immediately when threatening weather approaches.
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