Bodies of missing IU students recovered from Monroe Lake Tuesday

MONROE COUNTY, Ind. (WPTA) - The expansive search for two IU students who went missing while swimming in Monroe Lake on Saturday has come to an end.

In an update sent Tuesday afternoon, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says they recovered the bodies of the two students around 11:20 a.m. The men were found in 18 feet of water in an area east of the Paynetown Marina.

DNR said early on Tuesday morning that crews were resuming the search for 19-year-old Siddhant Shah and 20-year-old Aryan Vaidya. They say the two IU students were pontooning with friends Saturday afternoon when their group anchored to swim but the two men never resurfaced.

While searching on Monday, the department says crews battled heavy wind and waves, and hoped today’s calmer wind conditions would help in the recovery operation. Conservation Officers used multiple types of side scan sonar, remote operated vehicles, and scuba divers in the search.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Bloomington Police Department, IU Police Department, Monroe County Dive Team, IU Dean of Students Office, Monroe Fire Protection District, and IU Health EMS assisted in the search.