Man reported missing from Rock Cut State Park found dead

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – Authorities have found the body of a 30-year-old man who was reported missing near Pierce Lake in Rock Cut State Park.

According to the Winnebago County Coroner’s Office, Marin Gherta of Italy was found about 20 yards from shore near the Hickory Hills Campground at around 6:30 a.m. on July 29.

Gherta was first reported missing on Saturday, July 27, when friends noticed Gherta and a kayak missing. Illinois Conservation Police briefly closed the park on Saturday while they searched for him.

The coroner’s office has ruled the cause of death as drowning, pending the results of the toxicology examination.

The Illinois Conservation Police are investigating.

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