Overview
- A dam employee spotted the body lodged against a tainter gate during an inspection, triggering a multi-agency response.
- Crews from Trempealeau and Pickwick fire departments, Winona County deputies, and Winona dive teams converged on the scene, with a State Air Patrol helicopter assisting overhead.
- Hazardous currents at the dam forced a cautious approach, and the Winona Fire Department ropes team rappelled down the structure to reach the remains.
- Responders recovered an adult female after hours of work and transferred the body to the Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner's Office for identification.
- Authorities said the condition of the remains suggests prolonged time in the river, so confirming identity and determining cause of death will require medical examination.