Related
(WWJ) The body of Robert Chiles has been recovered by officials late last night in the Detroit River, leaving one missing from a capsized vessel that sent 12 people -- including children -- rushing into the water.
The Marine division continues to search for Fr. Stephen Rooney, a Trenton priest, who reports say didn't like to be on the water but went along on the trip anyway.
Authorities say there were nine adults and five children on board the boat that flipped over after hitting wake off Stoney Island, near Grosse Ile, at around 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Grosse Ile police said people on a boat from Ontario stepped up to help rescue several people from the water following the accident.
WWJ's Charlie Langton reported mid-morning Monday that two men who were still missing were presumed dead. They were identified Fr. Stephen Rooney, 66, a popular priest at Saint Joe’s Church in Trenton, and Robert Chiles, 52, of Grosse Ile.
Chiles, whose wife took her own life in the river last September, was driving the boat, according to authorities.
The watercraft involved is described as a 2017 39ft Nortec Center Console.
For the recovery effort, the Wayne County Marine Division and Canadian Coast Guard responded to the scene. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and the Downriver Dive Team has also been assisting in the search and recovery effort.
Langton reported Chilles' body was found not far from where the boat capsized.