WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. (WFRV) – The search for a 20-year-old Chicago man who went missing on Thursday after a boat capsized in the Wisconsin River faces continued challenges amid water conditions.
The Wisconsin Dells Police Department provided an additional update on Tuesday morning, saying that 20-year-old Francesco L. Di Filippo from Chicago has still not been found. The original incident happened on Thursday when a boat capsized in the Wisconsin River.
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Three boaters were inside: Francesco, a family member, 75-year-old Luis F. Di Filippo of Chicago and an unidentified person who made it safely to shore. Luis was found dead on Friday in the Wisconsin River.
Wisconsin Dells Police Department – Francesco L. Di Filippo
Search efforts have continued amidst difficult water conditions, as the discharge rate for the Kilbourn Dam is up to 19,300 cubic feet per second (CFS). The average is about 9,000 CFS, and the limit for a safe search underwater is up to roughly 10,000 CFS.
The rate is slowly dropping as crews continue to monitor it several times a day; however, these river conditions are reportedly too high and fast for a safe deployment of drones and divers to check areas of interest.
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Boats have searched the river from the Kilbourn Dam to Lake Wisconsin, aided by a group of volunteers from the Lake to the Pine Island Area. The family has been in discussions to hear more about the search.
For more searches underwater, the river level must drop more and/or the temperature must rise, with the river temperature as of Sunday morning around 41°F. Anybody who is out on the river or alongside is urged to be extra observant and alert the Wisconsin Dells Police if they see something.
