According to one of the cops on the scene everyone is accounted for. Not sure what happened exactly, I guess there was a smaller boat capsized that ended up further downstream. A buddy with a scanner said he heard they were in trouble above the dam so maybe they were towing a smaller boat lost power and the whole works went through the rollers.
Maybe one of the boats from Huck Finn’s?
We just drove by there on our way back from LaX. It didn’t look good, but glad to hear everyone is safe.
At this time, everyone is safe and accounted for. The boat had a mechanical issue that caused a chain of events that eventually led to the houseboat being flipped over.
Was it a rental?
On the radio this morning they said it went over the rollers… Yeesh.
Talk about a ride then! Glad to here about everyone ok and bummer about the boat.
DRESBACH, Minn. — Eleven people were thrown into the Mississippi River on Monday evening when their houseboat lost power and was flung over the roller gates at Lock and Dam No. 7.
Six people were taken to Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, but all are expected to live, authorities said at the scene near Dresbach, Minn. The other five did not need medical treatment.
Everyone on the boat was accounted for, authorities said. All 11 were out of the water when emergency personnel arrived at 5:30 p.m. to find the boat already halfway under water.
La Crescent Fire Chief John Meyer said the boat was sent over the dam when it lost power. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the party tried to drop anchor.
All 11 passengers ended up in the water. Authorities at the scene declined to identify them.
John Rieple, captain of the Best Dam Fishing Float, was shuttling some customers back from his fishing boat when he noticed debris coming from the dam. He rescued five of the victims when he found them clinging to a lifeboat nearby.
“This river is a lot stronger than people think,” Rieple said. “We’re glad they’re all safe and alive.”
A family of four died at the same dam in 2007 when their boat lost power and they were swept under water.
Quote:
La Crescent Fire Chief John Meyer said the boat was sent over the dam when it lost power. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the party tried to drop anchor.
I think the key is right there in bold. I can’t imagine a houseboat wasn’t carrying a proper anchor, but either they didn’t have one or panic set in and they didn’t use it.
Grouse
I wonder how close they were when the power went out. The closer they were, the more chaos in the panic. I know I’d be freaking out.
Remember the boat that got hung up on the St. Anthony Falls dam quite some time ago? That’s a bit different than rollers. Its strange that when I look at the top of a dam like Ford or St Anthony the first thing I think of is how freaky it would be to go over it in a boat.
Good, short explanation of what happenend.
Thank god the rollers were up….
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