Bodies of 3 missing swimmers recovered from river near Red Wing

Updated 11 a.m.

The bodies of three swimmers who went missing earlier this week were recovered Wednesday morning from a river near Red Wing, Minn.

The Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office said the swimmers were part of a family gathering Monday night at Diamond Island on the Vermillion River, near the confluence with the Mississippi River. A man was fishing along the shore while two adults and the girl were swimming, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

All three swimmers began to struggle in the water and the man on the shore went in to help. He rescued an adult female and went back into the water to try and save the others.

The sheriff’s office said both men and the girl went under the water and never came back up.

Their bodies were located about 7 a.m. Wednesday in an established search area, according to a release from the sheriff’s office, and the families of the missing swimmers were notified.

The Southern MN Regional Medical Examiner’s office has responded to the scene and will release the names of the swimmers, the sheriff’s office said.

All three people were inexperienced swimmers and not wearing life vests, the sheriff’s office said. They were swimming in an area that was 3 feet deep but sharply drops off to around 9 feet.

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