Two men rescued after canoe overturns on Lake Charles

Two men were rescued from the waters of a northwest suburban lake after the canoe they were in capsized, leaving them clinging to the overturned craft without life preservers.

The Countryside Fire Protection District received a 911 call at 9:36 a.m. Tuesday about men in the water of Lake Charles. Firefighters responded to the Gregg’s Landing subdivision in Vernon Hills, and saw the overturned canoe.

The two “young men” aboard had fallen out and were “struggling to swim in the weeds,” a statement from Battalion Chief Jim Wever said, adding “the two victims in the water were clinging to their upside down canoe.”

The men did not have flotation devices, so firefighters launched an inflatable rescue boat and rescue hovercraft from the Lake Charles Park boat ramp to reach the men.

Both were rescued and brought safely to shore where they were evaluated by paramedics, Weber said. Neither sustained injuries and no hospital transports were needed.

The hovercraft was then sent back out onto the lake to retrieve the canoe.

Weber said the incident stresses the need to “always have a USCG approved flotation device with you when you are out on the water.”

The Mundelein, Libertyville and Lincolnshire-Riverwoods fire departments assisted with with boats, divers and other resources.