SHEBOYGAN — Crews have recovered the body of a 13-year-old boy who went missing while swimming at Jaycee Quarry Park in Sheboygan.
The teen’s body was located around noon Wednesday, about six hours after recovery efforts resumed following a suspension Tuesday.
Sheboygan Fire Chief Eric Montellano shared the update at a joint news conference with the Sheboygan Police Department on Wednesday, July 16.
"You want a successful outcome always, you know, so it's tough, especially when it's a younger [person]. So it really is tough, but I am very proud of all the members that assisted us," Montellano said.
The search and rescue operation transitioned to a recovery mission after crews were unable to locate the boy, who was reported struggling in the water Tuesday afternoon.
Watch: Body of missing teen recovered from Jaycee Quarry Park in Sheboygan
According to Montellano, the teen was with friends at the time of the incident, who attempted to help but were unable to get him to shore.
The family has confirmed the identity of the teen, which is not being released at this time.
“I'm just like, 'I know tomorrow is going to be a brighter day and I know that this will be the end of the look,' and he was gonna be found," the boy's cousin Queen Trotter said. “I’m just in disbelief right now that he’s gone.”
When the news broke that the 13-year-old was finally located, audible wailing could be heard from the family, overwhelmed by grief.
“This is a tragedy right now," said Queen's sister Latricia. “The boy, he’s not even going to be able to make it to eighth grade...he’s a baby.”
This heartbreak hits home even harder for Latricia because she too has a 13-year-old child.
“This day...it will never be the same," she lamented. "A mom lost her son... It’s no time for negativity, it’s time for prayer.”
Challenges During Recovery
Multiple agencies participated in the search effort, using sonar pings, divers and K-9 units to locate the missing teen.
The fire chief attributed search difficulties to underwater obstacles in the quarry, which reaches depths of 30 to 45 feet in some areas. These obstacles include wood, branches, tree stumps and fishing poles, with divers getting entangled in debris.
"Our divers last night were getting entangled. This morning they were getting entangled. You always want to have closure, [but] you want to do it safely," Montellano said.
According to Montellano, the area where the teen is reported to have jumped from is designated as a "swim at your own risk" zone, separate from the water park area, and is one of the deepest parts of the quarry, with no lifeguards present in the area.
“Be safe. Nobody knows, especially with the lake. We have a lake that is unpredictable. In this quarry, we don’t have that; however, it’s deep. It’s 40 feet deep. You know, I want to say be careful. Swim in areas that are meant to be used as swimming areas,” Montellano said.
The fire chief said they plan to release a press release later Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, police say they are investigating the circumstances around the incident but are not planning to release details of their investigation yet.
This is a developing story. Continue following TMJ4 both on air and online for updates.
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