Lake County, IN – Authorities have identified the two missing boaters found near a BP breakwall as Eduardo Rivera Jr., 45, and Salvador Mercado Lopez, 32, both from Elk Grove Village, IL.
According to the Lake County Coroner’s Office, the bodies were discovered on Friday and identified with assistance from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Rivera and Lopez were last seen on July 5 when they fell out of a boat near Whiting, Indiana. A fisherman discovered one body around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, leading to the recovery operation by the Lake County Marine Unit and the Indiana DNR.
Autopsies performed on Saturday confirmed drowning as the preliminary cause of death, pending toxicology results. Neither of the men sustained any other injuries. The Lake County Coroner’s Office coordinated with multiple agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard and Whiting Police Department, during the investigation.
