March 01--A Bartlett man who tried to walk across ice on a lake in DuPage County fell through Sunday and later died, authorities said.
Leon Gonzalez, 21, was pronounced dead at 6:45 p.m. at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, according to the coroner's office.
An autopsy was conducted Monday. An official ruling on the cause and manner of death is pending, but preliminary findings were consistent with those of an apparent accidental drowning, a spokesman for the coroner's office said. Toxicology tests are being conducted.
People visiting the West Branch Forest Preserve near Bartlett called 911 about 4:30 p.m. after the man fell through the ice on Deep Quarry Lake, which is near Army Trail and Fair Oak roads, according to a news release from the Forest Preserve District.
Forest Preserve District police and police and fire department units from Bartlett, Bloomingdale, Hanover Park, Winfield and the sheriff's office responded.
Dive teams were assigned to search the water and found Gonzalez about 5:30 p.m., according to a news release from the Bartlett Fire Protection District. The man had been walking on the ice, witnesses told Forest Preserve District police.
Two firefighters and one police officer suffered minor injuries and were transported to the hospital for evaluation, according to the fire district.
Temperatures Sunday reached the low 60s on, and the ice on the lake was not consistent, with some areas having complete open water, said Bartlett Asst. Fire Chief Mike Kelly. He reminded residents to be careful around ice-covered water and reminded them the ice is probably unsafe this year due to the mild weather.
"It is not going to be safe," to cross ice-covered water, Kelly said.
Freelance reporter Janelle Walker contributed.
