The TLDR: Bruce’s Legacy worked with the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and multiple agencies to search for and recover the body of Collin Smith from Lake Monona on May 23, 2025.
The longer version is as follows:
Bruce’s Legacy was initially informed on Saturday morning, May 17, of a drowning that had taken place in Lake Monona on May 16. Corey Reno from the Madison Fire Department, familiar with Bruce’s Legacy from Keith’s presentation at the Midwest Public Safety Conference, reached out to inform us of the situation.
On Sunday, May 18th, we were contacted by Kyle McNally of the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, Marine and Trail Enforcement and asked to join their search efforts.
On Monday, May 19, at 6:00 a.m., we (Keith & Jeremy Cormican) made the 2-hr drive from Black River Falls to Lake Monona in Madison.
Upon our arrival at Olin Park, an initial briefing revealed details of a May 16 departure next to the boat launch involving four men. Two of the men were on a small sailboat, while the other two were in a kayak tethered to the sailboat. It was noted that not all participants were equipped with life vests.
Shortly after leaving the shore, the wind from the west increased drastically. The stronger wind capsized the sailboat, and all four men were thrown in the water. One individual was able to right the sailboat and attempted to return to the other three, but the winds were such that the sailboat capsized again. From there, the strong westerly winds eventually pushed the sailboat and that one individual to the southwest shoreline.
During this time, the other three men did their best to hang on to a flooded kayak in 3 foot waves, also at the mercy of the winds. It’s approximated the three men were in the water for one hour. Two of the men with life vests were rescued by a Madison Fire Department boat dispatched to the scene. Unfortunately, Collin Smith, was not located and was the person we were tasked to locate.
On Monday, we were joined on the water by the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and the Fontana Fire Department running sonar, Wisconsin K9 SOS, and the Wisconsin DNR running sonar and checking targets of interest with an ROV.
We felt confident as we started the search. There were GPS coordinates marked by the Madison Fire Department boat on the night of the accident, and a 911 call had also been made, giving us a general search area. It was windy with choppy water on Monday, but not enough to prevent us from operating, and the lake bottom provided for reasonably good-quality sonar imaging from our towfish.
We finished running sonar on Monday at 10:30 p.m. and headed back to Black River Falls. We felt discouraged but not deterred. Rain was expected on Tuesday and Wednesday, preventing us from rejoining the search until Thursday, May 22.
We returned to Lake Monona from Black River Falls early Thursday morning. After another full day running sonar without success, we were naturally frustrated that we hadn’t located Collin yet for his family and all the people invested in the search. By this stage, we had scoured the areas within the perimeter deemed most plausible based on the available GPS coordinates and information. We explained to Collin’s parents that it would be beneficial to speak directly with the witnesses to get a better perspective and determine which area to focus on. Fortunately, the Smith family then helped facilitate this and arranged for one of the gentlemen to meet us Friday morning.
We stayed the night in Madison on Thursday so we could resume running sonar early Friday morning.
On Friday morning, one of the gentlemen who had been in the water hanging on to the kayak with Collin joined us on the boat. This allowed us to get a firsthand account of what he recalled transpiring.
Armed with his information, we were encouraged to expand our initial search area.
Later that day at 9:40PM, we located Collin’s body in 40 feet of water on sonar. We then sent the ROV down to confirm our sonar image and secure Collin. When the DCSO coroner arrived on scene we brought Collin to the surface which then concluded our efforts in the search and recovery.
This case was a collaborative effort involving multiple individuals and departments.
Apologies if we shook your hand and your name isn’t mentioned here; we met so many people this week. However, our overwhelming recollection is that the dedication and work ethic demonstrated by everyone were commendable, and we’re honored to work alongside such professionalism.
While we understand our motivations when these searches become challenging, the opportunity to also work shoulder to shoulder with individuals like DCSO Sergeant Kyle McNally and the people we met this week inspires us to sustain our efforts and persevere.
Thanks to those who joined us on the boat: Mark Smith, Kyle M, Kristina G., Joe, Corey R., Cody, and Corey T.
A very big Kudos to the Smith Family for their composure and grace during such a challenging time. Your unwavering spirit kept us all going, and we appreciate everything you did to support us. As you navigate this transition, we’re sending you all our warmest wishes as you honor and celebrate Collin’s life.
Thanks to Midway BBQ for providing food for everyone on Friday.
Each search provides a valuable opportunity to learn and to share knowledge; we gain additional experiences and forge relationships that are then carried forward to help other families like the Smiths.
We’d also like to take this opportunity to remind those who read this of the importance of reminding one another to wear a life jacket and keep it on when water is a factor.