RED WING, Minn. — Officials in Goodhue County continue to search the Vermillion River and the Mississippi River for three people who went missing on Monday.
On July 3, the sheriff's office initially identified the three individuals as fishermen and said that two men had jumped into the water to help another who went overboard.
In an updated statement Tuesday afternoon, the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office said a group of family members gathered on the north side of Diamond Lake on the Vermillion River — three of them to swim and one fishing from shore.
After the swimmers started to struggle, the sheriff's office said the man fishing on shore jumped in to help and was able to rescue a woman and bring her to shore. The angler then went back into the river to help the remaining two swimmers, all three of whom would subsequently go underwater and not be seen again.
The sheriff's office said 10-15 minutes passed before a call went out to emergency responders, who then arrived about 10 minutes later.
Officials say the three missing people — two adult men and one 17-year-old girl — are inexperienced swimmers, which was compounded by the absence of lifejackets. Authorities said the swimmers were in an area about 3 feet deep but located a sharp drop-off of about 8 to 9 feet in the same area.
In a media availability Tuesday, police said the fisherman is the father of the woman who he initially rescued. The sheriff's office said everyone involved in the incident is believed to live together in the same household in Oakdale, Minnesota. A spokesperson added that the location in which the family members went missing was only accessible by boat.
Diver operations are underway on the Vermillion River and sonar is being used on the Mississippi, officials said. Authorities say at this point, first responders consider the situation as a search and recovery mission.
The Goodhue County Sheriff's Office is assisted in the search by the Red Wing Fire Department, Pierce County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Wildlife Fish and Game, Northstar Search and Rescue as well as the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The search began Monday and lasted until nearly 9 p.m. Search efforts resumed Tuesday at 8 a.m.
Officials recommend that boaters slow their speed around emergency vehicles and, if possible, steer clear of the ongoing search operation on both rivers.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is made available.
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