Chicago Student’s Spring Break Ends in Tragedy After Wisconsin River Accident
Twenty-year-old Francesco Di Filippo, a college student from Chicago, was found deceased on June 30, 2025, nearly three months after he went missing during a boating accident on the Wisconsin River. The search for Francesco began in early April after the boat he was riding in capsized near Kilbourn Dam while he was on spring break with his grandfather, Luis Di Filippo. Another passenger survived the accident, and Luis’s body was recovered shortly thereafter. Francesco’s whereabouts remained unknown until now.
The tragedy has devastated the Di Filippo family and profoundly impacted the local community, who had held onto hope throughout the long, emotional search. Francesco’s mother, Lina Di Filippo-Schultz, expressed her heartbreak over losing both her son and father, emphasizing how much family meant to Francesco. His father and girlfriend also spoke publicly about the emotional toll of the uncertainty during the search.