The North Shore is mourning the loss of four young men who died in a canoeing accident over the weekend of Jan. 2, 2016. The men between the ages of 20 and 23 were New Trier High School graduates who were spending New Year’s Eve at Lake Beulah in East Troy, Wisconsin.

According to the eight other friends on the weekend trip, the four men left their cabin around 3:00 am on Sunday morning for a smoke. When their friends woke up in the morning, they noticed that they had not returned.

They worriedly walked outside to search for them and found footprints leading to the lake along with an overturned canoe across the bay. They immediately called emergency services that sent in multiple dive teams. The bodies were recovered within the next few days.

There were no signs of foul play, but there are several police reports stating that alcohol had been a factor. According to CBS News, there was “no evidence the young men took life jackets with them on the canoe,” and the water temperature was near freezing. The dangerous combination proved to be fatal.

The last of the four victims, Patrick Wetzel, was laid to rest on Jan. 12 at Faith, Hope and Charity Catholic Church in Winnetka. Reverend Marty O’Donovan conveyed at the funeral that the families of the victims have been surrounded by love since the tragedy.

Donovan stated, “Their message to me to convey to all: ‘We will persevere. We will get through this tragedy and not allow it to obscure a life well-lived. It will not stop our family from remembering and loving Patrick as we will continue to love and care for one another.'”