Iñaki Bascaran, the Wrigleyville man who was found dead in the Chicago River nearly a week after he went missing on a night out with friends in River North last autumn, died from drowning, according to the Cook County medical examiner. But the office’s investigators could not determine the manner of his death, such as an accident or homicide, records show.
Friends last saw Bascaran, 23, leaving Celeste, 111 West Hubbard, late on October 30. He FaceTimed with a friend shortly after midnight on Halloween and said he was heading home, but he never arrived, family members said after he went missing.
Relatives and friends launched an impressive website to coordinate search efforts and made tireless efforts to spread the word of his disappearance.
CPD’s marine unit, working with a canine and handler from the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office, found Bascaran’s body in the Chicago River near the 1000 block of South Wells on the evening of November 5.
“Our hearts have shattered, and we’re still trying to comprehend that our Iñaki isn’t coming home in the way we all desperately hoped he would,” his father, Jose, said after Bascaran was found. “There are not enough words of gratitude to capture the appreciation we have for everyone who helped in the search for our son.”