3 bodies pulled from Mississippi River believed to be missing swimmers

GOODHUE COUNTY, Minn. (KTTC/Gray News) – Three bodies were pulled out from the Mississippi River in the area where Minnesota officials have been searching for three missing swimmers.

According to the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office, two bodies were found at 6:53 a.m. Wednesday and the third was found at 7:05 a.m. All three bodies were located in the search area.

The medical examiner’s office has responded to the scene and will be releasing the names of those located at a later time.

The bodies are believed to be the three swimmers who went missing Monday after going underwater in the Vermillion River near the mouth where the river flows into the Mississippi.

The families of the missing swimmers were made aware of the recovery.

Maj. Mike Johnson with the sheriff’s office said a man, a woman and a 17-year-old girl were swimming in the river during a family gathering on Diamond Island Monday evening.

It was reported that the three swimmers were inexperienced and swimming without life vests at the time in an area that is 3 feet deep but with a “sharp drop-off to 8 or 9 feet” of depth.

When the three swimmers started struggling, a man who was fishing nearby jumped in to help. He was able to help save the woman, who is his daughter, but was pulled under the water himself after re-entering the water to help the other two.

Authorities say the island is only accessible by boat but could not say if there was a boat nearby or if one of the families owned a boat.

Johnson said everyone involved lived in the same house in Oakdale, Minnesota, but there are multiple families that live at the house.

Authorities searched for three hours Monday night before inclement weather and darkness hit. Searches started back up Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. and continued into nightfall.

Authorities used dive operations, sonar and K9s on both the Vermillion and Mississippi rivers.