The Peoria Fire Department pulled a body inside a white SUV from the Illinois River Tuesday, following four days of recovery efforts. Peoria Police say the body is that of 33-year-old Clarence Hanson, who was reported missing over the weekend. Peoria Fire Department Chief Kent Tomblin says the recovery was a result of multiple departments working together.
"The DNR, to start out with, the Peoria Police Department, the Peoria Fire Department, the locks and dams, the coast guard, and even today we reached out to southern Illinois for some special dive equipment and some divers. So, this has been a four day event that has had several different agencies come together, work cooperatively and come to this ending," says Tomblin.
The fire department says 12 personnel were on the water, but no divers were used because of strong river currents. Personnel instead used a regular tow-hook to securely pull the SUV from the river. The vehicle was found about 40 feet from the shore in nearly 25 feet of water. Officials say there’s no sign the SUV was in an accident before ending up in the river. The Police Department and the Peoria County Coroner’s Office are investigating the cause of the incident.