(Update at 5:40 p.m. on 8/3/26) WASHINGTON ISLAND, Wis. — Two kayakers who went missing near Washington Island over the weekend have been found dead.
The Door County Sheriff’s Office has identified the kayakers as 20-year-old David Thalman from Dundee, Illinois and 20-year-old Franceska Warick from South Elgin, Illinois.
The sheriff’s office said search efforts transitioned to a recovery operation on Sunday, with the Washington Island Police Department, Gibraltar Police Department and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources helping in the area where the kayakers were last seen. Recovery teams located the bodies around 10:55 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 3.
The incident remains under investigation by the Door County Sheriff’s Office.
WASHINGTON ISLAND, Wis. — Search and rescue teams are looking for two kayakers who were last seen near Washington Island in Door County on Saturday afternoon.
Washington Island police, fire and ambulance services were called to the area of Wickman Rd. on the east side of the island at 6:48 p.m. on Aug. 1 for reports of a man and a woman who went out on a kayak that afternoon without life jackets and had not returned.
Police describe the man as 20 years old, 5’11 and 195 pounds with brown hair and last seen wearing khaki shorts. The woman is described as20 years old, 5’1” and 95 pounds with brown hair and possibly last seen wearing a teal or red/pink swimsuit. Scanner audio from Broadcastify describes their kayak as red and white.
The U.S. Coast Guard helped with search efforts until 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 2. Washington Island Fire Department and other nearby fire and police departments are continuing with ground and drone searches.
