The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that a man pulled from a submerged vehicle at Rend Lake on Monday night has died from his injuries.
Sheriff Kyle Bacon reported that the incident began around 5:40 p.m. Monday, when a fisherman called 911 to report a vehicle underwater at the Rend Lake Conservancy District boat ramp on Illinois 154 near Larry Foster Parkway by Whittington. Emergency crews from several fire and police agencies, along with AMR Ambulance, quickly responded.
A diver from the Benton Fire Department, assisted by an Illinois State Police trooper, entered the water and rescued the man from the submerged vehicle. Life-saving measures were immediately initiated. The victim was transported by ambulance to Franklin Hospital in Benton and later airlifted to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Indiana.
According to Sheriff Bacon, the sheriff’s office was notified of the man’s death at approximately 4:30 a.m. Tuesday. The man’s name has not yet been released, pending notification of his family.
The cause of the incident remains under investigation by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.