Inaki Bascaran: After missing man's body is found in Chicago River, family thanks public for support
CHICAGO - The family of a 23-year-old man whose body was found in the Chicago River after going missing on Halloween said Saturday they are still trying to comprehend how Inaki Bascaran died, but are thankful for the effort hundreds gave to locate him.
"We’re still trying to comprehend that our Iñaki isn’t coming home in the way we all desperately hoped he would," Jose Bascaran, Iñaki’s father, said in a statement. "There are not enough words of gratitude to capture the appreciation we have for everyone who helped in the search for our son."
Inaki Bascaran was reported missing in the early hours of Oct. 31 after leaving Celeste, a bar in the 100 block of West Hubbard Street, according to his father.
Friday night, Chicago police confirmed Bascaran’s body was recovered from the river near the 1000 block of South Wells Street.
Funeral services for Iñaki Bascaran (left) will be held Nov. 10 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Glenview. | Provided
Hundreds of volunteers assisted the family in their search, scouring the River North area and holding a candlelight vigil outside the young man’s Lake View apartment.
"While there are still many unknowns at this time, Iñaki’s family and friends said they know one thing for sure: they are forever grateful for the love and support from every single person who touched this case," according to a statement from Vantius, a private detective company the family hired to assist with the case.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office has not released a cause of death, pending further investigation.
Inaki Bascaran was at his apartment Oct. 30 with his friend, Kayli Fradin, watching scary movies before he left to meet a group of people at Celeste. He was last seen on surveillance camera leaving the club alone.
Inaki Bascaran told his roommate over Facetime that he was heading home, but he never returned, the family said previously.
"Iñaki’s smile and energy just lit up a room," Fradin said. "He had a big heart, always made people laugh, and loved soccer, shows like ‘The Office,’ and his dog, Max."
Iñaki Bascaran (left) with his father Jose Bascaran. Funeral services will be held Nov. 10 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Glenview. | Provided
Funeral services for Bascaran will be held Nov. 10, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Glenview. The wake will take place from 3-7 p.m., with a mass beginning at 7 p.m.
Bascaran was a graduate of Glenbrook South High School in Glenview and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He worked for a media company, according to his father.