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Crime & Safety

Fox River Drowning Wrongful Death Suit Returns to Court

Attorneys for the city of Geneva seek to dismiss a suit filed by the family of Naperville resident Randy Suchy, who drowned while rescuing a 12-year-old boy he had taken fishing on Aug. 5, 2011.

The wrongful death suit filed by the family of a man who drowned in the Fox River near the Geneva dam in 2011 returns to court Dec. 13, court documents indicate.

The city of Geneva and Geneva Park District were sued by the family of Naperville resident Randy Suchy, who drowned while rescuing a 12-year-old boy he had taken fishing on Aug. 5, 2011.

According to an article on the website of Briskman Briskman & Greenberg, the lawfirm representing the family members, the wrongful death lawsuit claimed that “the city of Geneva knew it was unsafe and potentially lethal for children and adults to be on land in close proximity to the water, and the downstream side of the Geneva dam.”

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Geneva's attorneys asked a judge to dismiss the suit, according to a Daily Herald article. Court documents now indicate a hearing on a dismissal motion will be held at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 13 in Room 350 of the Kane County Judicial Center.

Suchy, who was 59, took two boys fishing at the Geneva dam, according to reports. He entered the water to save one of the 12-year-old boy, who had been caught in the undertow.

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A group of Naperville bicyclists were riding through Geneva when they spotted Suchy's struggles in the water. They immediately contacted Geneva police and some made rescue attempts themselves. Geneva fire and police officials went into the water, pulled Suchy and the boy to the shore. The boy lived, Suchy could not be revived.

Suchy was later laid to rest, and the bicyclists were honored at a Geneva City Council meeting. 

Suchy’s family alleged the city should be held liable for its failure to monitor the area, according to the attorney's website article, suggesting that, "while there are warning signs, the area had not been roped off."

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