Essex man, 85, dies after ATV falls through ice

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ESSEX (FOX 32 News) - On Wednesday, an 85-year-old man fell through the ice of the private lake he owned in the small town of Essex, which is just south of Braidwood.

The death of Lloyd Meredith comes as a total shock to people in the Lake Shannon Community. According to his son Brandon Meredith, there was a water main break somewhere Tuesday and Lloyd got on a four-wheeler to go look for the leak.

However, he couldn't find it, so he stopped at the office to tell his son Brandon he couldn't find it and was going home. That was Tuesday afternoon, and Lloyd is believed to have gone through the ice sometime Tuesday in the afternoon.

On Wednesday morning, someone reported seeing the tire tracks and eventually his body was found in the water Wednesday afternoon.

Lloyd Meredith was a Korean War veteran and once served as a police officer. He was also a 12-time gold medal national water ski champion who founded Lake Shannon and was beloved by its residents.