Search Underway For Missing Mississippi River Boater

Authorities from several area agencies are currently searching for a boater who may have fallen out of his vessel, into the Mississippi River between northeast Iowa and Southwest Wisconsin.

The Cassville, Wis., Fire Department was the first to respond to the report of a boat that was going in circles, north of the Cassville Ferry Landing.

After stopping the boat, authorities were notified of a Burlington, Wis., man who had been boating by himself, and was now missing.

Authorities speculate that the 56-year-old man probably fell out of the boat. He apparently was not wearing a life preserver.

The boater disappeared Saturday (Oct. 6, 2018). Emergency workers searched all day Saturday and Sunday. Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Coast Guard, and some area fire departments are continuing the effort this week.

An Illinois agency plans to use specialized equipment to look for the man in the Mississippi River.

Agencies that have responded to the search, include the Iowa DNR, Wisconsin DNR, Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Wisconsin State Patrol, Guttenberg Fire Department, Guttenberg Police Department, Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Glen Haven Fire Department, and the Cassville Fire Department.