"It's very sad:" Walworth County officials recover body of man who fell through ice on Lake Como

WALWORTH COUNTY -- The body of a man was pulled from Lake Como in Walworth County Friday, December 9th.

The call to officials came in at approximately 1:15 p.m. Police say a witness saw the man fall through the ice and never resurface.

It was all hands on deck as multiple agencies from Wisconsin northern Illinois began working against the clock. Officials say after four hours of searching, the body of a male in his 40s was pulled from the water.

"There's been a search and rescue operation now for some hours at about 5:30 p.m., a body was located in the lake," said Lake Geneva Police Chief Steve Hurley.

The unidentified male walked at least 700 yards before falling through the ice. Officials used divers and sonar techs to locate him.

Multiple crews came for backup.

"Because of the weather, the divers can only go in for a short period of time so we needed extra manpower to handle those," said Elkhorn Fire Chief Rod Smith.



Many locals watching the situation develop from a local bar tells FOX6 News their thoughts on the search.

"It's very sad that something like this happens in our local community here. I pray for him and his family," said Cassendra Kordecki, member of the Lake Como Homeowners Association.

"I didn't believe it. The ice is real thin, it's only been a couple of days," said Dino Nienajadlo, Lake Como resident.

Law enforcement says this tragic incident is a reminder of how deceiving ice can be.

"We've had an unusually warm fall and early winter here in Wisconsin, ice is incredibly unstable when it's thawing and when it's forming," said Walworth County Sheriff Kurt Picknell.

More information on the victim pulled from the water is expected to be released in the coming days including his identity.