Cameron Sanders, 16, was found 150 feet from where he jumped off Rainbow Bridge, police said.
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Thursday it has recovered the body of Cameron Sanders, 16, who jumped into the Des Plaines River on Saturday. The sheriff’s office said Sanders’ body was located at 10:25 a.m. approximately 150 yards from Rainbow Bridge in the Thatcher Woods. Sanders had been missing after he jumped off Rainbow Bridge into the river.
In a statement, the sheriff’s office said it plans to continue its investigation into “this tragic loss of life,” adding, “Our thoughts and prayers remain with Cameron’s family at this most difficult time.”
Crews initially ceased the search for Sanders on Sunday. On Monday, volunteers, friends and family joined canine search specialist Robert Larson and community organizer Anthony Clark to help find Sanders. Just a half-hour before volunteers began their search, Sheriff Tom Dart announced the Cook County Sheriff’s Office was taking over search efforts.
Larson, who found the body of one-year-old Bryeon Hunter four years ago, headed up Monday’s search after the family expressed outrage that authorities had not done enough to locate Sanders. Larson told Patch that Sanders’ mother was “absolutely livid with Cook County” and that the family has been “very upset with the way the Cook County Sheriff handled things from the start.” He said, “When there’s a case and a family doesn’t feel that they’re getting the cooperation and the attention on the case, then they’ll contact me. As soon as Cook County finds out that happens then they’ll wanna get out there.””
In a release, the sheriff’s office said it was employing boats with sonar, but Larson said he did not see them using sonar technology. Larson also said that at one point he saw just three officers searching the river banks “doing what they should be doing and doing it the right way” and two officers in their cars.
Larson also said that Sanders’ family had been watching the search from Rainbow Bridge Wednesday when sheriff’s officers told them to leave because they thought they had found Sanders. According to Larson, the family was waiting in a nearby parking lot for “an hour or two” before police returned to tell them it was a “false alarm.”
“[Cameron’s mother] was extremely thankful for what I did out there,” Larson said, “That’s why I do what I do.” Larson said he still attends “every one” of the court dates for Bryeon Hunter. He found Hunter in the same river four years ago and said, “I still see Bryeon’s face every day.”
He said, “I don’t charge families a nickel for what I do. How do you put a price on somebody’s child?”
