Dad's Body Found Near Island 6 Weeks After His Kids Died During Sailing Trip: 'Three Beautiful Angels'

Billy Salnik and his two children went missing while on a boating excursion in Wisconsin last month

The body of a man who went missing last month during a boating trip in Wisconsin with his two children was located by authorities on Saturday, Aug. 24.

The Marinette County Sheriff's Office announced on Facebook that Billy Salnik’s body, which was found near Green Island, has been recovered. A boater reported that they located a possible body, which prompted the sheriff’s office and the fire department to respond.

“The incident remains under investigation by the Marinette County Medical Examiners Office and the Marinette County Sheriff’s Office,” per a news release.

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The sheriff’s office’s statement further added: “We would like to thank all those involved in the numerous searches for their tireless efforts. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Billy at this time.”

In a July 15 Facebook post, the Door County Sheriff’s Office wrote that the Oconto County Sheriff’s Office was alerted of an overdue boater who departed Oconto Harbor on July 13, around 10:00 a.m.

Believed to be on the vessel at the time was a man, later identified as Salnik, with two children. They were identified in media reports as Charlotte Salnik, 5, and Joshua Salnik, 3.

On July 15, according to the Door County Sheriff’s Office, at about 6:23 a.m., “an unmanned 18-foot Gulf Coast sailboat was located by emergency personnel in the waters south of Chambers Island in the town of Gibraltar.”

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The bodies of the children were later “recovered from the water about 1 mile south of where the boat had been located” at approximately 11:21 a.m., the Door County Sheriff’s Office statement added. The search for the other missing person continued.

In a July interview with ABC affiliate WBAY before the discovery of her son’s body, Tina Salnik said she knows Billy tied the life jackets her grandchildren had on them together so they could be found.

“As soon as you stop crying, you look anywhere and you start crying again,” Tina Salnik told the local outlet. “How do you get through this? Not one baby, not two babies, but all three of my babies.”

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Kevin Kobylarczyk, an uncle of Billy Salnik, expressed his shock in the same WBAY interview last month. “I feel so bad for my sister,” he said, “because this was her whole life, there’s nothing left. What do you do? What do you say to somebody who has nothing left? Is there anything you can say to that person?”

In an Aug. 24 update to a GoFundMe that she created to pay for her son and grandchildren’s funeral expenses, Tina Salnik wrote: “We have now found all three beautiful angels. In my heart I feel billy give everything he had. I love you honey. And my beautiful grandchildren. Now I can lay you all To rest. Thank you everyone all the love I have received.”

PEOPLE contacted Tina Salnik for comment on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

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