By Brian Stanley
Two people drowned March 31 in the DuPage River near the Hammel Woods Dam in Shorewood.
About 5:50 p.m. Abraham Ramos, 28, of Palatine, went into the water near the dam, which is yards from where Route 52 passes over the river. While the shore and concrete pier near the dam are popular fishing sites, swimming is prohibited and “Strong Undertow” signs are posted.
Warning signs are posted on the river that boaters must portage around the dam.
Will County Forest Preserve spokeswoman Cindy Cain said after the man went into the river, his girlfriend, Hannah Tammeling, 22, of Plainfield, went in after him.
“They were by themselves and we don’t know why they went in, but a witness heard her yelling for help and called 911,” Cain said.
A Will County Sheriff’s deputy was in the area and saw both people near the dam. A Troy firefighter arrived and saw the man on the surface.
“The firefighter went into the water with a rope tied around him, but couldn’t find the man,” Cain said.
Firefighters walked along the shore and searched the river in boats until 9 p.m. when darkness prohibited further searching.
Ramos’ body was found further downriver late the following morning and Tammeling’s was recovered a few hours later.
Access points at Hammel Woods were closed during the search. Troy Fire Chief Andy Doyle said 30 fire agencies and five police agencies participated in the search, which covered a 2.5-mile stretch of the river from Route 52 to Mound Road.
Doyle cautioned Hammel Woods visitors to stay away from the dam, which he likened to a lake riptide. While water near the dam may look calm at times, it is extremely dangerous because of the turbulence at the structure’s base.
“It’s very hard to swim out of that,” Doyle said. ” … We really stress that people stay away from the dam.”
The dam, which was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps as a New Deal project during the Great Depression, has been the site of previous drownings and water rescues over the years.
Cain said the Forest Preserve decided in 2017 to remove the dam and was scheduled to solicit bids for the project next week.