Storm capsizes boat on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin: 3 dead, 7 rescued

A severe storm during the July 4 holiday on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin, USA, caused a boat to capsize. Three people died and seven were rescued.

Scraper SystemJuly 04, 2026, 01:11 PM

Storm capsizes boat on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin: 3 dead, 7 rescued

A severe storm during the July 4 holiday on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin, USA, caused a boat to capsize. Three people died and seven were rescued.

Walworth County officials reported that a strong storm that began around noon on Friday caused a boat to overturn on the lake, leaving many people stranded in the water. Rescue teams dispatched to the scene managed to pull seven people from the water, but the bodies of three people were recovered.

Walworth County Sheriff's Deputy Tom Hausner said at a press conference, "While the county's permanent population is around 106,000, it exceeds 200,000 on holiday weekends like July 4. Our resources, not just the sheriff's office but all law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services, were already strained; this incident pushed the situation to an unprecedented level."

While officials have not yet released the identities of the deceased, CBS News Chicago, citing sources, reported that the victims were children. The investigation into the incident is being conducted jointly by the Geneva Lake Law Enforcement and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

The storm caused extensive damage not only on the lake but also on land. Lake Geneva Mayor Todd Krause declared a state of emergency at 12:18 p.m. The strong winds and rain downed power lines, tore apart trees, damaged buildings, and crushed vehicles. Numerous storm-related injuries were reported, and local hospitals had to redirect patients due to the high volume.

The sheriff's office called all off-duty personnel to duty urgently and requested reinforcements from Rock, Kenosha, and Jefferson counties, as well as the Wisconsin State Patrol and the Department of Natural Resources.