Emergency officials at Lake Geneva after calls for a water rescue (Image: X)
Three people died and seven others were rescued after a boat capsized on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin on Friday amid strong storms that hit the area, authorities said.According to the Associated Press, the boat capsized when a severe storm swept through southern Wisconsin, where strong winds, heavy rain and widespread damage prompted several emergency calls.Walworth County Undersheriff Tom Hausner confirmed the deaths, but said authorities had not yet released details about the victims or those rescued.The incident is under investigation by the Lake Geneva Police Department.The boat was carrying 10 people, six adults and four children, who were trying to reach safety when strong winds and huge waves swept the boat, causing it to fill with water, capsize and sink.According to Fox6 Now, six adults and one child were rescued, while three children were later found and pronounced dead despite efforts to save their lives. The four children were wearing life jackets when the boat capsized.
A strong storm leaves a trail of destruction
The boating tragedy unfolded when severe thunderstorms swept through Walworth County around 12:10 p.m. (local time), triggering numerous emergency calls reporting downed trees, power lines, damaged vehicles and people trapped in buildings.
Deputies responded immediately but faced delays because roads were blocked by downed trees and live power lines, Hausner said.“Power lines are everywhere,” Hausner said, according to what was reported by the Associated Press. “We are urging people to stay away.”Authorities requested assistance from neighboring law enforcement agencies and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to respond to the emergency.Lake Geneva Mayor Todd Krause declared a local state of emergency, saying that a person suffered minor injuries after a tree fell on him.
Several areas of the city also witnessed power outages.
Storms disrupt the weekend
The National Weather Service warned of severe thunderstorms across much of the eastern United States, with damaging winds posing the greatest threat.The New York Times quoted meteorologist John Gagan as saying that local weather stations near Lake Geneva recorded wind gusts of about 65 miles per hour as the storm line moved across southern Wisconsin.The storms knocked out power to nearly 300,000 homes and businesses across Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan, according to PowerOutage. com.Lake Geneva, a popular vacation destination in southeastern Wisconsin that draws visitors from the Chicago area, sees its population nearly double over the weekends.The same storm system also forced many Midwestern communities to cancel Independence Day celebrations, postpone fireworks displays and issue new warnings for additional thunderstorms over the weekend.
