Divers found the body of 54-year-old Alan Saiz, of rural Sesser, Monday night, more than 24 hours after a boating mishap in the Gun Creek area at Rend Lake.
Franklin County Sheriff Don Jones said the missing man was found in the Gun Creek area at approximately 6:42 p.m. by divers from Rend Lake Search and Rescue. Also assisting in the search was the sheriff’s department, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Saiz and a companion, Tammy Molina, were fishing at Rend Lake Sunday afternoon when they ran out of gas. Molina told authorities that Saiz fell into the lake and that she drifted for more than an hour until the boat finally made it to shore and she was able to get help. A 911 call was placed at approximately 5:30 p.m on Sunday with the report that a man had fallen out of a boat at Rend Lake and had not resurfaced.
The search was called off because of darkness on Sunday night but resumed on Monday morning. Because the exact location of the accident was not known authorities used sonar and scanners to try and help locate the missing fisherman. Jones said foul play is not suspected.
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