Minutes later, after Lelah was in the Riviera’s storm shelter, tornado sirens blared and alerts rang on cellphones. Hoefle had made his way into the Riviera, as well.

Then, in what felt like the snap of fingers, everything ended. In the same amount of time it took for the storm to swell, it was gone. By 12:48 p.m., the sun was shining again, and the huge gusts dissipated.

But others didn’t make it off the lake in time. Ten people on a private motorboat got caught in the severe wind and waves and capsized while trying to navigate to safety, according to the Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency.

While six adults and one child were rescued, three were declared missing before being found and pronounced dead after life-saving measures failed, the agency wrote in a press release. All four children were wearing life vests, officials said.

As of the early afternoon Saturday, authorities had not publicly identified the children or given further updates on what happened.

“It’s such a tragic thing because it’s the Fourth of July,” Hoefle said. “Everybody’s having fun and then 10 minutes later, three people are dead and boats are slammed and houses are ruined.”

“It’s just insane,” he added. “A freak thing.”

Storm

Severe storms hit Lake Geneva and other parts of Walworth County on July 3, 2026. Damage occurred across the area, including at the Big Foot Beach State Park campgrounds, pictured here soon after the storms.

USA Today Network

The next day, on the United States’ 250th anniversary, people still went out. They pitched tents, fired up grills and drank cold beers. Boats motored around the lake, and jet skis skidded across the water. But just because they celebrated, that does not mean the prior day’s tragedy was forgotten.

“It’s harder to celebrate now knowing that family did not come home with their kids,” said Lelah, who has two children of her own. “Every Fourth of July after this, they’re going to think of this.”

“It’s such a tragic thing because it’s the Fourth of July. Everybody’s having fun and then 10 minutes later, three people are dead and boats are slammed and houses are ruined.”

Travis Hoefle 

Local Weather