'A Tragedy I Didn't Expect': Woman's Beloved Dog Dies With Pet Sitter In Kankakee River Jet Ski Accident

RICHTON PARK, IL — A Richton Park woman is mourning the unexpected loss of her dog after it died along with a pet sitter in a jet ski accident on the Kankakee River last month.

On Friday, June 19, Ariel Hill, 40, dropped off Oreo for what was supposed to be an overnight stay with Hill's trusted pet sitter Angelo Triolo. The Maltese-Shih Tzu was booked to stay with Triolo until that Sunday, Hill said, but that plan shattered on Saturday.

Triolo took Oreo along with him on a jet ski ride along the Kankakee River, a trip that would ultimately claim both their lives. Hill had used Triolo as a pet sitter for several years, and they had built a relationship. Triolo—along with his partner—had earned her trust.

Hill stresses that she does not want to minimize Triolo's death, but feels her loss is being overlooked.

"Angelo lost his human life," Hill said, "and he also lost what I found to be so precious to me. My dog, my baby."

Details around the accident were initially sparse. The Wilmington Fire Protection District said that on June 20, it had responded to a report of a body floating in the Kankakee River near the Des Plaines Conservation boat launch.

In a search for any watercraft related to the incident, the fire district airboat with an accompanying Illinois Department of Natural Resources officer was deployed to search upstream from the Conservation boat launch area. Fire district and Emergency Services Disaster Agency (ESDA) personnel also searched the area of the South Island Park dam. After an ESDA member spotted an object in the dam, a fire district drone flight was conducted over the watercraft, and the drone pilot was able to identify the registration number on the craft.

Triolo appeared to have piloted the jet ski to the dam from the downstream side to take pictures and got caught in the boil of the dam, according to Illinois Conservation Police Sgt. David Wollgast. The South Island Park dam is a low-head dam, designed and built such that water flows continuously over the crest from bank to bank, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Water flows over the top and creates a reverse current—like a washing machine. This pulls objects and people backwards against the face of the dam, making it very difficult to escape, according to the non-profit American Rivers.

With the water high and running fast from recent rainfall, the boil was strong, Wollgast said, and pulled Triolo under. Both Triolo and Oreo died in the incident.

Hill learned of the accident via text message as she was attending the concert that had prompted her to seek Triolo's pet sitter services.

"I dropped Oreo off on June 19 expecting to pick him up the next day," Hill said. "Instead, I had to face the reality that he was never coming home. He wasn't just my dog—he was my emotional support animal, my companion, and a member of my family. I never imagined he would be taken on a jet ski, and I certainly never imagined that would be the last day I would ever see him. The loss has left a void that I am still trying to navigate every day."

Hill says Triolo and his partner had previously asked if her dog could go with them out on the water, and she had consented, believing he would be on a boat. They'd also sent Hill pictures of Oreo with them on a beach.

"They always assured he’ll have his life vest on," Hill said. "That put me at ease—I’ve seen the picture of him with the life vest on.

"I’m thinking, 'It's ok.' He’s never been with me on a large body of water. She didn’t say jet ski. My understanding was a boat."

Hill emphasized that she'd always had a positive relationship with Triolo. They'd first connected on the pet sitter and dog walker app Rover.

"He was a high-rated sitter on Rover," Hill said. "We created a relationship outside of Rover, where we didn’t use the app anymore.

"It was a positive relationship—I don’t want to give any type of narrative that it wasn’t," she said. "They took care of my dog."

'We were just inseparable'

Oreo was Hill's first and only dog, a registered emotional support animal, and a constant source of comfort and companionship since she found him amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A single mother, Hill raised Oreo from birth and spent four years building a bond that she describes as irreplaceable.

Known for his gentle nature and friendly personality, Oreo was a favorite among neighbors and well-known throughout the community. He greeted nearly everyone he met with excitement and affection. Friends, neighbors, and strangers alike often stopped to say hello during walks. One of Oreo's favorite routines was walking along Sauk Trail with Hill.

"People would see me walking my dog multiple times a day," Hill said. "He’s irreplaceable—he was such a sweet dog. A lot of my neighbors didn't like dogs, but they liked my dog because he was so calm and friendly."

Hill got Oreo while working remotely during COVID. He quickly proved essential to her mental health as she adjusted to the solitude.

"We were just inseparable," Hill said. "We went to the grocery store, I’d take him downtown to the office when I had to go.

"My life is turned around now. I’m used to waking up, walking my dog, feeding him. It’s just taken from me. To not be acknowledged in my loss—that’s hurtful."

More than two weeks after the tragedy, Hill continues to navigate her grief and the emotional aftermath of losing a companion she considered family.

"I started my day with him, ended it with him," Hill said. "It is just so hard."

Hill believes many pet owners will understand that the loss of a companion animal can be every bit as devastating as losing a family member.

"That is a big part of me gone," Hill said. "I lost what I loved, but nobody’s really acknowledging that.

"Not only did I lose my dog, but his sitter is gone, as well. It’s just a hard situation. It’s just a tragedy that I didn’t expect."

Hill's mother has started a GoFundMe supporting her daughter amid her grief.

"The loss has been incredibly hard on my daughter, as Oreo was her source of emotional support and happiness," the fundraiser reads. "Our family is struggling to cope with this sudden and heartbreaking event, and we want to honor Oreo's memory in a meaningful way."

Donations to the GoFundMe will be used toward cremation costs and the future expense of finding Hill a new dog.

"It’s just so sad," Hill said, crying. "The GoFundMe is created to help see if we can find a dog that will suffice like Oreo.

"I don’t really know if that will happen."

As Hill prepares to see her son off to college, she faces the reality of an empty, quiet home.

"Oreo was here to keep me company, give me comfort," Hill said. "I’d tell him often, 'Don’t leave me. Stay with me the whole time.'"

Hill noted that she'd been shown great kindness by a Will County Animal Control Officer. Hill does not drive and could not get to Oreo's remains. Officer Jones retrieved Oreo and transported the dog to a Romeoville facility for cremation.

"He was really amazing for doing that for me," she said.

She's still in shock at her loss. She'd felt she was doing the responsible thing seeking a pet sitter, knowing she'd be gone from her home for several hours for the concert.

"They absolutely did love dogs, it was just negligent on their part," Hill said. "They absolutely loved Oreo. I sent him there so I could get some free time, and he could get some space. I live in an apartment; they live in a house.

"He could get out, get some space, play with other dogs."

She couldn't have known what would happen.

"The last time I saw my baby was on June 19," she said. "That was the last time.

"I lost my dog. He was precious to me. He wasn’t property—to me, he was family—he was my baby."