Geneva Lake boat accident, fundraiser identifies 3 children killed

LAKE GENEVA, Wis. – The three children who died in a boating accident on Geneva Lake on Friday have been identified. 

Children identified

What we know:

A fundraiser posted to GoFundMe by Brad Oswald identified two of his children, Caleb Oswald, 6, and Abigail Oswald, 7, as having “lost their lives in a tragic boating accident caused by an unprecedented severe storm”.

“Caleb and Abigail were more than brother and sister—they were best friends. They filled our home with laughter, music, hugs, and endless love,” the post said.

A separate fundraiser posted to GoFundMe by Jonathon Schmidt identified the third victim as 10-year-old Kathryn Schmidt. 

“Kathryn Schmidt, or as most people knew her, Kate, was a bright light in our lives, and her loss has left our family heartbroken. On July 3, a tragic boating accident on Lake Geneva took Kate from us, along with her two cousins,” the GoFundMe post said. 

The backstory:

Walworth County experienced what law enforcement described as a “sudden and severe” storm on July 3. The National Weather Service said it created a downburst with peak winds estimated at 90–100 mph.

The storm downed hundreds of trees and power lines, damaged several buildings and created hazardous boating conditions on Geneva Lake. One boat with 10 people on board overturned and ultimately sank. 

Six adults and one child were rescued from the water, while three of the kids were missing when emergency responders got there. Those three children were found and later died despite life-saving attempts. 

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Who was on the boat?

What we know:

The three children who died have been identified as a 10-year-old girl, a 7-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy. 

The boat operator was a 47-year-old man. The other passengers were a 75-year-old man, a 73-year-old woman, a 49-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy.

The group included residents of Fontana, as well as residents of Batavia and Wheaton, Illinois. All four kids were wearing properly fitted life jackets, according to law enforcement.