Two of the three children who died July 3 after the boat they were on capsized during a devastating storm have been identified.
Caleb and Abigail Oswald, ages 6 and 7, respectively, drowned in the boating accident. The third child victim, a 10-year-old girl, has not yet been identified.
The Oswald children were named on a GoFundMe page seeking donations to be made in their honor to an unspecified children’s charity.
“Even in the face of this unimaginable tragedy,” the GoFundMe page says, “we hope Caleb and Abigail’s lives will continue to make a difference by helping other children for years to come.”
As of about noon July 8, the fundraiser had raised about $53,300 toward a goal of $65,000.
A spokesperson with the Community Unit School District 200 in Wheaton, Illinois, confirmed the two children were students at one of its schools.
“Our deepest condolences are with the family and friends of the children who died in a tragic boating incident,” the district said in a statement. “We ask that you join us in supporting these families during this difficult time, and keep them in your thoughts as we all cope with this incredible loss.”
The children were three of 10 people on a privately owned, 25-foot 2024 Nautique P25 vessel that overturned and sank when a powerful and fast-moving storm that included hurricane-force winds blew through Walworth County just after noon July 3.
Police said the children suffered no external injuries, and the preliminary cause of death is consistent with freshwater drowning. The children were found inside the sunken boat in 32 feet of water. All of them were wearing life jackets, according to the Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency.
Law enforcement officials have thus far declined to publicly identify the victims.
This story has been updated to add new information.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Two victims of the Geneva Lake boating accident have been identified
Reporting by Steven Martinez and Shane Colpoys, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Steven Martinez and Shane Colpoys, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
