WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Ill. -- Three southern Illinois residents were recognized as good Samaritans after helping to find a person believed to be missing last week.
The Williamson County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to a report of a capsized boat on Little Grassy Lake on May 21 at around 6:30 p.m.
Once county officials got to the scene, they found some fishermen who found a kayak/canoe which was reportedly upside down in the middle of the lake.
The fishermen reportedly were able to tow the boat to shore and found a backpack with a cell phone. The phone was still dry and operating.
The fishermen used the cell phone they found and contacted a parent of the phone's owner and were able to confirm a male was on the lake and that they were missing, the sheriff's office detailed in a Facebook post.
The fishermen contacted law enforcement and started searching the water.
The sheriff's office found out the cell phone belonged to a SIU student.
Both the fishermen and law enforcement started searching for the SIU student believed to be missing.
“As nightfall was quickly approaching, the ability to get on the water without law enforcement having to transport boats saved valuable time�, stated Sheriff Jeff Diederich.
The sheriff's office detailed they later learned the student was in the boat when it capsized and then swam to shore and returned to his home. The student left behind the backpack, thinking it was lost in the water.
Because of the actions taken to help locate for what was believed as a missing person at the time, the sheriff's office is recognizing the efforts made from Parker Branscum of Dongola, Reese Belcher of Anna and Nicholas Grimm of Carbondale.
“While this had a positive outcome; at the time, these citizens went to great length to help others they believed were in peril�, stated Sheriff Jeff Diederich.
Sheriff Diederich, along with Southern Illinois University Police officers, went out to the home of the student and confirmed he was safe. They also returned his belongings and learned the circumstances as to what took place in the water.
The sheriff's office further said, they commend Parker Branscum, Reese Belcher and Nicholas Grimm for their actions.
