A man is missing after a pair was thrown overboard while boating on a river in Iowa.
According to a press release by the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred on Sunday at around 9:50 AM. A man and woman got into trouble on the Des Moines River near 310 Street in Eddyville. The Sheriff’s Office received a call saying “two individuals had been thrown from the vehicle they were operating.” Shortly after deputies arrived, authorities rescued 50-year-old Roseanne Benda from the water with the help of two other boaters. However, the whereabouts of her friend, 47-year-old Waylon Straube, remain a mystery.
We Are Iowa Local 5 News explains that a driver crossing a bridge over the river made the call. He reportedly saw the pair in the boat as he drove past in the morning. Sheriff Russell Van Renterghem told the outlet, “They turned around at some point and came back not too long after that. They noticed the boat was vacant.”
The press release explains the MCSO is working with several local agencies in the search, including the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Oskaloosa Fire Department, New Sharon Fire Department, Eddyville Fire Department, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Mahaska County Emergency Management Agency, and Mahaska County Dispatch Center.
Emergency Services Conducted An Extended Search For The Missing Boater
Multiple agencies joined the search effort but had to postpone their 10+ hour-long hunt when it started to get dark. Local News 5 explained that authorities used boats with sonar to try and locate Straube. After the extended search, they found no sign of him. Rescuers reportedly used drones to try and locate the boater with a birds-eye view. The outlet also explains says Straube fell into the water without a life jacket.
Authorities resumed their search the following day but have not found anything. The Sheriff’s office has reportedly urged anyone, regardless of age, to wear a life jacket while on the river, as it could save their lives. As for what caused the boat to throw its occupants into the water, Sheriff Renterghem told news outlet WHO 13 that the boat may have collided with concrete under the water.