SHEBOYGAN - Authorities have recovered the bodies of two college-aged men who were swept off South Pier by high waves on Lake Michigan Sunday.
Adam LaLuzerne of Sturgeon Bay and Kurt Ahonen of Green Bay had been missing since 4 p.m. Sunday when they and another man were thrown into the water as they attempted to walk on the Sheboygan breakwall while 4- to 5-foot waves were breaking over it.
A prayer vigil was held for LaLuzerne and Ahonen Monday night at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Sturgeon Bay.
The second body was recovered about 7 p.m. Sheboygan County Sheriff's Department Lt. Jason Lierman said the department would not release the names of either victim until Tuesday morning. However, LaLuzerne and Ahonen have been identified by friends and by the church.
Sheboygan County Sheriff Todd Priebe said recovery teams used sonar to locate the missing men, but strong currents hindered the search.
Priebe said the men were part of a group of five college-aged friends who were visiting the lakefront Sunday afternoon.
One remained on shore while the others walked onto South Pier in an attempt to talk with two fishermen further out on the pier, he said.
LaLuzerne, Ahonen and Dylan Abeyta of Sturgeon Bay were swept off the breakwall and into the Sheboygan harbor as they attempted to return to shore. The fourth person had been lagging behind and ran for help.
Abeyta was rescued and sent to a hospital.
Abeyta, a 22-year-old Sturgeon Bay resident, told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin he spent about 30 minutes in the water before the U.S. Coast Guard arrived.
Abeyta said he and his friends decided to walk out on the breakwall after seeing the fisherman at the end of the pier.
“We thought if they could make it, we could make it,” he said. He blames the group’s thinking partially on their youth.
Gina Guarnieri, a photographer who witnessed the incident, said she saw the four men walking on the breakwall when the first one, Abeyta, was swept in by a wave.
She said the others were swept into the water by another wave, while a fourth man ran back to shore to call for help.
Abeyta said the men in the water quickly became separated.
“I wasn’t with them very long. The brief moment that I was … we tried to tell each other to just stay afloat,” Abeyta said. “I tried to get closer to them but the current was too strong.”
The fourth friend, Jeremy Wheat of Sturgeon Bay made it to a call box and got word to the U.S. Coast Guard, Abeyta said.
Meanwhile, Abeyta continued to be pulled out further into the lake.
“I was hoping for a miracle. When I was by myself, I couldn’t see where I was,” he said.
His mother, Kay Abeyta, praised Wheat's actions.
“He was so helpful with giving accurate and precise information that they were able to get there as quickly as they could,” she said.
Authorities said the fishermen were also swept off the breakwall while the rescue effort was taking place. They were rescued by volunteer firemen and returned to shore unharmed.
U.S. Coast Guard officials said a total of 10 people were reported to have been thrown into the lake by the waves Sunday.
Abeyta said he and LaLuzerne had been friends since second grade at Corpus Christi School in Sturgeon Bay. The both graduated from St. Norbert College in De Pere in May.
Abeyta said there is a moral to what happened to him.
“You shouldn’t take life for granted and even though you feel like you are on top of the world, you never know what’s going to happen,” he said.
