Children’s bodies found; search continues for father in sailboat tragedy

UPDATE The bodies of two children were found July 15 in the waters of Green Bay near Fish Creek, but the search continued for their father, who was piloting the family’s sailboat when they failed to return from an outing the night of July 13. Door County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Pat McCarty told reporters that searchers found the missing sailboat at about 6:23 a.m. just south of Chambers Island. The children’s bodies were found in the water around 11:21 a.m., about a mile south of where the capsized boat was found. Personnel were back on the bay of Green Bay at the break of dawn July 15, searching for Bill Salnik of Little Suamico and his two children, who were 3 and 5 years old. They went sailing from Oconto near the breakwater the evening of July 13 and were last seen near Egg Harbor and Green Island. They were supposedly headed for Rileys Bay, an inlet on Green Bay just west of Sturgeon Bay, before the storms hit. A family member posted on Facebook they were last seen at Green Island around 5 p.m. Saturday. McCarty said the U.S. Coast Guard, sheriff’s department and other emergency agencies were still looking for Salnik, 32, at the time of the press briefing around 2 p.m. July 15. EARLIER STORY The U.S. Coast Guard Station in Sturgeon Bay announced Monday morning that they have found a missing sailboat just south of Chambers Island. There was no immediate word on the fate of the 32-year-old man piloting the vessel with his young children. Personnel were back on the bay of Green Bay at the break of dawn Monday, searching for Bill Salnik of Little Suamico and his two young children, who are 3 and 5 years old. They went sailing from Oconto near the breakwater on Saturday evening and were last seen near Egg Harbor and Green Island. They were supposedly headed for Rileys Bay, an inlet on Green Bay just west of Sturgeon Bay, before the storms hit. A family member posted on Facebook they were last seen at Green Island around 5 p.m. Saturday. The Coast Guard announcement on social media indicated the sailboat, “Lady Blue,” was being towed into Fish Creek.