Three children died after a recreational motorboat capsized on Geneva Lake in southern Wisconsin on Friday afternoon, as a sudden and severe storm struck a region where millions of Americans were gathering to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday — the 250th anniversary of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence from Britain.

The privately owned motorboat was carrying ten passengers, including four children, when it attempted to race to safety as weather conditions rapidly deteriorated. Overwhelmed by fierce wind and waves, the vessel took on water and capsized. Emergency responders rescued six adults and one child from the water, but three children recovered from the lake during an intensive search were unresponsive despite exhaustive lifesaving efforts administered at the scene. Authorities confirmed that all four children on board had been wearing life jackets at the time of the capsizing. The identities of the victims were not immediately released as an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency continued.

Geneva Lake lies in Walworth County in southern Wisconsin, and the surrounding area — including the small town of Lake Geneva — has long been a favourite summer vacation destination for residents of nearby Chicago. In the wake of Friday's storm, Lake Geneva Mayor Todd Krause declared a state of emergency. The tempest downed trees and power lines, damaged buildings, and blocked roads across the area. At least one additional person suffered minor injuries after being struck by a falling tree, and deputies reported delays in responding to emergency calls due to debris scattered across roads.

The Wisconsin tragedy was part of a broader pattern of extreme weather that disrupted Fourth of July celebrations across much of the United States. Storms rolling through the Midwest and Northeast left nearly one million utility customers without power across Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and New Jersey. Multiple cities cancelled holiday festivals or rescheduled fireworks displays. The violent weather arrived alongside a punishing national heat wave, with an estimated 250 million people warned to expect dangerous temperatures over the holiday weekend.

Authorities used the incident to issue an urgent safety reminder. "We strongly urge all boaters to closely monitor weather forecasts, remain vigilant of changing atmospheric conditions and seek safe harbor immediately when threatening weather approaches," the Lake Geneva police department said, describing the capsizing as a stark illustration of "how quickly severe weather can develop on area waterways."