Missing Illinois kayakers found dead near strait called Death’s Door known for shipwrecks

Missing Illinois kayakers found dead near strait called Death's Door known for shipwrecks

Inja News آگوست 7, 2026 2 minutes read

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The bodies of an Illinois couple, both 20, who had gone missing on a kayaking trip in Lake Michigan near a strait called Death’s Door in Wisconsin were recovered earlier this week.

David Thalman, 20, and Francesca Warick, 20, were found on Monday morning off Washington Island after they went missing over the weekend, according to a joint press release from the Door County Sheriff’s Office and Washington Island Police Department.

Washington Island is located across from the Door Peninsula. Kayakers leaving from the Door Peninsula must cross the Death’s Door strait, which is known for being turbulent, to reach Washington Island.

Authorities don’t believe either one was wearing life jackets.

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David Thalman and Francesca Warick together

Hundreds of shipwrecks are believed to have happened in the notorious strait since the 19th century.

The Door County Sheriff’s Office said it had assumed command of the search after it turned into a recovery operation on Sunday.

Jane Lee, broker-owner of a RE/MAX office in Chicago suburb Lake Bluff, told FOX 32 that Thalman was a great employee.

“You don’t see a lot of young people like that anymore today,” she said. “He’s very focused, always on time. We trust him 100 percent.”

She said is family has a cabin on Washington Island and she started to get worried when he hadn’t answered her calls and texts about work after he left for the weekend.

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“That moment I did worry,” she said, adding that when her office heard the news, “We all cried. Everybody was in shock.”

She added, “We feel a huge loss.”

Warick, a twin, “brought joy to everyone around her,” according to her obituary.

Schoolhouse Beach shoreline on Washington Island, Wisconsin.

“She was a bright, happy, and free-spirited young woman whose beautiful smile and kind heart left a lasting impression on all who knew her. She loved her family deeply and treasured every moment spent with them.”

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Authorities said the couple likely drowned. Their deaths remain under investigation.

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