Man Missing After Mississippi River Incident in Goodhue County

Jul 20

A 56-year-old man is missing after he went underwater and did not resurface while wading in the Mississippi River Saturday afternoon near Lake City.

The Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office says the incident was reported just after 3:15 p.m. on July 19 near the sandy point of Long Point, north of Lake City.

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According to initial information, a 12-year-old girl and the man—described as a close family friend—had entered the river to wade near a sandbar. Witnesses said the girl began flailing her arms and appeared to be in distress.

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People in a nearby boat were able to reach her and safely pull her from deeper water. She was not injured. Neither the girl nor the man were wearing life jackets, the sheriff’s office said.

Witnesses said the man disappeared beneath the surface and did not come back up. Deputies from the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office responded, along with the Lake City Fire Department, Lake City Ambulance, Minnesota State Patrol and the Department of Natural Resources. The agencies began a coordinated search effort, including aerial support using drones and specialized water search and recovery equipment.

As of Saturday night, the man had not been found and the search remains ongoing. His name has not yet been released.

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