3 Bodies Found After Oakdale Family Goes Missing In River

OAKDALE, MN — Three bodies have been found after three members of an Oakdale family went missing in the Vermillion River Monday evening, the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office said in a news release late Wednesday morning.

The names of the victims have not yet been released by officials.

Officials said they were called to the mouth of the Vermillion River where it enters the Mississippi River around 7:35 p.m. Monday. One family member was fishing from shore while three others were swimming on the north side of Diamond Island.

After all three of the swimmers started struggling in the water, the man who has been fishing went into the water to help, officials said. But when he went back into the water after rescuing one of them—a woman—he ended up going underwater with the remaining two, according to officials.

The deceased—two men and one girl—were inexperienced swimmers and were not wearing life vests, officials said. The area they were swimming in was three feet deep but dropped sharply to a depth of eight-nine feet.

Officials said that 10-15 minutes passed before the 911 call was made. The Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office Water Patrol responded within 10 minutes, and along with other rescue officials, searched the water for three hours until nightfall and inclement weather shut down the search, according to officials.

The search continued at 8 a.m. on July 4 before picking up again early Wednesday morning, when the bodies were found, officials said.

The search team consisted of the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Wildlife Fish and Game, Minnesota DNR, Northstar Search and Rescue, and Red Wing Fire Department, officials said. Authorities scoured the Vermillion and Mississippi Rivers with parties in the water and from boats using sonar and other electronic devices, according to officials.