Fayette County, IL-(I-70 Media, Inc.)- News Release from the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office—
On Saturday August 2, 2025 at approximately 2:30 p.m. Fayette County Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call regarding a nine year old juvenile female that was actively drowning and stuck under a log in the river near Wren Bridge area. Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and area first responders immediately responded to the scene and began rescue efforts.
As deputies and first responders arrived on scene it was told that the juvenile female had been swept underneath the logs and debris in the water and was no longer able to be located. As search and rescue was being conducted more assistance from neighboring agencies and volunteers began arriving on scene to assist rescue and recovery operations. Volunteers, law enforcement, first responders and excavating crews worked well into the early morning hours attempting to locate the juvenile female. The decision was made at approximately 3:00 a.m. to halt rescue and recovery operations to provide everyone involved with rest before resuming the search at 8:00 a.m.
Rescue and recovery resumed at approximately 8:00 a.m. on August 3, 2025. At approximately 11:09 a.m. the juvenile female was located and extricated from under the logs and debris in the river. The name of the juvenile female will not be released at this time in to provide the family with privacy during this tragic incident.
The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office would like to give a heartfelt thank you to the following agencies, businesses and citizens of Fayette County and surrounding areas for all the hard work and assistance during this incident. These include but are not limited to:
Law Enforcement
Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Fayette County Dispatch, Vandalia Police Department Dispatch, St Elmo Police Department, Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers and the ILEAS Unified Command Post
Fire Departments
Ramsey Fire Protection District, St Elmo Fire Protection District, Brownstown Fire Protection District and Tri County Fire along with MABAS Districts 54, 58, and 64 for providing light towers.
Medical Providers
Rural Med, Arch Air Medical and the American Red Cross
Dive Teams
Fayette County, Effingham County, Shelby County and Keyesport Dive Teams
Excavating Services
Washburn Excavating Services, Neeley Farms
Fayette County Sheriff’ Office would also like to thank Ben Hortenstine for providing rock to allow for rescue boats to access the river. We would also like to thank so many other people for providing items such as a port a potty, food and drinks to all the first responders and volunteers during this search as there were way too many to name individually.
Meanwhile, Fayette County Coroner Dave Harris addedv The body of the 9 year-old female victim who drowned nearWren Bridge was pronounced deceased at 11:05 this morning, August 3 rd by the Fayette County Coroner’s Office. An autopsy will be performed on the juvenile girl Tuesday morning in
Springfield.
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