Overview
- The bodies of David Thalman, 20, and Francesca Warick, 20, were recovered off Washington Island on Monday after a weekend kayaking trip turned into a missing-person search.
- Officials identified the pair as Illinois residents and said they vanished while paddling near the narrow strait known as Death's Door between Lake Michigan and Green Bay.
- Authorities say drowning is the likely cause of death and the Door County Sheriff’s Office is leading an active investigation into the incident.
- Investigators do not believe either person was wearing a life jacket, and the search operation shifted to a recovery mission that involved the sheriff’s office, local police, the Wisconsin DNR and volunteers.
- Death's Door is notorious for strong currents, unpredictable winds and more than 240 reported shipwrecks, and the recoveries have prompted local tributes for the victims and fresh warnings about paddling safety.