Search for father continues after boating accident

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Two children are dead and their father is still missing after they went out on a sailboat near Green Bay last weekend.

On Monday, officials recovered the bodies of two children, now identified as five-year-old Charlotte M. Salnik and three-year-old Joshua F. Salnik.

The search for her father, Bill J. Salnik, is still ongoing.

The Oconto County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday, July 14, that a 32-year-old man from the town of Little Suamico, Wisconsin, did not return to his intended destination after a boating trip with his two children. No one has been in contact with him since around 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 13, officials said.

The missing vessel, an 18-foot Gulf Coast sailboat, was located in the waters of Green Bay off Chambers Island on Monday, July 15. The Oconto County Sheriff’s Office said it was notified of the unmanned sailboat by the Door County Sheriff’s Office. The bodies of the two children were recovered about a mile south of the boat.

Authorities said they are continuing to search for Bill J. Salnik using drones and will begin a search using K9 dogs on Thursday, they said.

Officials said there are no plans to stop the searches until further notice. The bureau said the incident is still under investigation and updates will be provided as information becomes available.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family as they cope with the loss of their loved ones,” Sheriff Todd Skarban said in a press release.