St Croix River recovery search

Search under way; two teens rescued
By Gita Sitaramiah
[email protected]
Article Last Updated: 07/05/2008 08:12:01 PM CDT

Authorities are searching for the body of a woman who apparently drowned Saturday in the St. Croix River at a beach in Troy Township, Wis., a few miles south of Hudson.

A good Samaritan rescued two teen girls from the water. They were conscious and alert at the time, said St. Croix County Sheriff’s Lt. Mike Winberg. The girls, who authorities believe to be the missing woman’s daughters, were taken to a Hudson hospital.

“It appears it was a swimming accident,” Winberg said. The three were almost out to a buoy 300 feet from the shore of the secluded beach. No other details were available about what happened.

Divers from several local agencies responded to the beach at Pembles Access off Glenmont Road and County Road F after receiving a report of a drowning at 1:20 p.m. By midafternoon, authorities had changed the mission from a search-and-rescue to a recovery.

At least a dozen boats were on the river as authorities used sonar-tracking devices to find the woman. River conditions were too dangerous to send divers into the water before a probable location of the body was identified. Boat traffic was restricted north and south of the recovery mission.

Gita Sitaramiah can be reached at 651-228-5472.

Be safe out there!

Sad ending to a great 4th of July weekend

This morning’s news didn’t give the lady’s name, but did say she was from South St. Paul. Very sad thing to have happen.

Rootski

Drowning victim found in St. Croix River
By Nick Ferraro
[email protected]
Article Last Updated: 07/06/2008 02:12:58 PM CDT

Authorities today recovered the body of the woman who went missing Saturday while swimming in the St. Croix River in Troy Township, Wis.

St. Croix County sheriff’s Lt. Mike Winberg identified the drowning victim as Lona Yvonne Donahue, 41, of South St. Paul.

Divers pulled Donahue from the St. Croix about 11:30 a.m., about 45 minutes after a sonar-tracking device located her body in the water, Winberg said.

Donahue and her 13-year-old daughter and her daughter’s 13-year-old friend had been swimming at Pembles Access off Glenmont Road and County Road F.

The daughter told investigators Saturday that they had been walking on a sandbar that was about chest-high deep when a wave washed them into the water.

Two men who were on the beach heard the girls’ screams and calls for help and swam to them. The men pulled the girls into a boat, but were unable to find Donahue, Winberg said.

Divers from several local agencies responded to the beach, which is about five miles south of the St. Croix River Bridge in Hudson. By mid-afternoon authorities had changed the mission from a search and rescue to a recovery.

The search stopped about midnight today and resumed at 9 a.m., Winberg said.

Nick Ferraro can be reached at 651-228-2173.

Sad

Prayers go out to the family.

My guess is that she couldn’t swim. It makes me mad when I hear that people don’t know how to swim. They should make swimming a mandatory class for students. My Scout Master couldn’t swim I thought that was weird. If you have kids that don’t know how get them enrolled in swim lessons.

Quote:

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The daughter told investigators Saturday that they had been walking on a sandbar that was about chest-high deep when a wave washed them into the water.

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Prematurely speaking, is sounds to me like one of those big azz boats came by, throwing a massive wake, that pulled the woman underwater and killed her. If that is the case, a wave, as stated, the boater killed this woman and per MN law, the boater is liable for his wake.

Too many IQ deficient operators are in boats on the water.

If this is true, what I’m interpreting, the operator of the boat should be locked up for negligible homicide.

That “wave” killed the mother of a 13 year old daughter, right in front of the poor girls eyes.