DIXON – The body of one missing Ogle County boater was recovered on Jan. 3 from the Rock River in Dixon, while the other is still missing.
The body of James Swift, 64, of Forreston, was recovered near the dam in Dixon, according to Lee County Coroner Jesse Partington. Swift was one of two boaters to go missing Nov. 20 when the boat he and another fisherman were in capsized near Oregon on the Rock River.
“The body was transported to the Ogle County morgue and was positively identified by tattoos on the body,” Partington said.
At the time of the boaters’ initial disappearance, recovery efforts were made by area dive teams. At one time, a body was located about a mile south of the dam in Oregon. Officials tried to use a remotely operated vehicle and divers to recover the body, but the high flow of the current made recovery impossible.
“We are grateful for the recovery of Mr. Swift and the closure it will bring to his family and friends,” Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said. “The Sheriff’s Office continues to plan and implement future river operations with hopes of locating the second individual in the near future.”
The fishing boat was initially found at about 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 20 upside down on the west side of the river near the dam. VanVickle said a truck and trailer were found at Castle Rock which were used to haul the boat.
