Missing Swansea man found dead inside car submerged in St. Elizabeth’s Hospital retention pond

SWANSEA, Ill. (KMOV) – A missing man has been found dead in a retention pond in St. Clair County.

On Monday, the O’Fallon, Illinois Police Department was alerted by a volunteer group called Brother’s Underwater Recovery that a car was underwater in a retention pond on the northwest side of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. The volunteer group specializes in searching for missing people near waterways and had recently begun investigating the disappearance of David Foster, who was reported missing out of Swansea on Jan. 13.

After spotting the car using a drone, the volunteer group received permission from the hospital and the police department to dive into the lake. According to police, divers were able to verify the car was occupied and belonged to Foster. The car was about 30 feet from the shore.

The O’Fallon Police Department notified the Swansea Police Department, who used their own dive team to assist with the recovery of the car. After the car was removed, authorities confirmed Foster, 50, was deceased inside.

The Illinois State Police Department and the St. Clair County Coroner’s Office are assisting police with their investigation. At this time, police do not suspect there was any foul play. They said it is believed Foster was suffering from a medical emergency and was heading to the hospital when he went missing.

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