Crews Recover Body Of Boy From Kankakee River

(CBS) -- Crews have recovered the body a 12-year-old boy believed to have drowned in the Kankakee River on Monday, two days after his 13-year-old sister died trying to save him from the strong current near the Wilmington Dam.

Wilmington Police Chief Phillip Arnold said around 6 p.m. Monday, 13-year-old Abiyail Arroyo and her brother, Eder were at a family cookout in South Island Park near the dam, when her brother waded into the river, and said he wanted to "touch the wall of water, which is the dam."

"He was told by one of the witnesses not to do that, but he got a little too close. He couldn't get back out again. At that point, his sister went in to try and help him," Arnold said.

When both children began struggling in the strong current, two brothers who saw them in trouble tried to save them.

Relatives of the good Samaritans said the first brother, Ramon Ibarra, managed to reach the two children, but was unable to get them to safety before needing to be rescued himself.

Officials said the current is very strong at the dam, and apparently pulled the brother and sister underwater. Signs along the river tell visitors not to swim, fish, or launch boats near the dam.

A GoFundMe page has been set up on behalf of the family.