'Unimaginable': 3 children killed when boat capsized identified as brother, sister and cousin

GENEVA LAKE, Wis. [KTRE]

# ARTICLE BODY

Three young relatives perished in a boating tragedy on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin when a vessel capsized during a severe storm on July 3. The victims have been identified as Caleb Oswald, age 6, his sister Abigail Oswald, age 7, and their cousin Kathryn "Kate" Schmidt, age 10. All three children were aboard the boat and wearing life jackets at the time of the incident.

Law enforcement authorities responded to multiple emergency calls around the time a violent weather system swept across the area, bringing with it wind gusts reaching approximately 100 miles per hour. The Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency arrived to find a boat that had gone down in the water with people still in danger. A total of 10 people had been aboard the vessel when it capsized, with four children among the group.

Emergency responders conducted an immediate rescue operation, successfully pulling six adults and one child from the water. However, when accounted for, three of the four children aboard remained unaccounted for in the water. Rescue divers were deployed and located the submerged boat resting at a depth of 32 feet below the surface, with the three missing children discovered inside the vessel.

First responders initiated resuscitation efforts for the three children at the scene, but despite their intervention, all three were pronounced dead. The specific cause of death and additional circumstances surrounding the capsizing remain under investigation by local authorities.

Family members released a statement through a fundraising campaign expressing their grief. According to their account, Kate was remembered as a cheerful and kindhearted youngster whose presence would uplift those around her. "Kate was an amazing girl with a bubbly personality, and she didn't have a mean bone in her body," the family wrote. "Whether you met her once or knew her well, she would brighten your life any time of day."