Search continues for body of contract worker who fell into the  Skunk River

BY KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

The search continues for the body of a contract worker who fell into the Skunk River on Monday.

Henry County Conservation Officer Dan Henderson said as of 10:20 a.m., Tuesday, no body had been recovered from the Skunk River.

The Henry County Sheriff?s Office received a 911 call around 3 p.m., Monday, claiming a subject had fallen from the bridge on Highway 34, west of Mt. Pleasant.

Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee said a contract worker, who remains unidentified at this time, fell from the bridge and into the river. The individual had been working in the netting below the bridge when he fell, McNamee said.

?The subject fell into the water, came up and was struggling, so his brother threw him a rope. He was not able to maneuver out of the water and went under again,? said McNamee.

Despite the temperatures reaching into the 60s on Monday, and the sunshine beating down, water temperatures remained frigid throughout the search. By 4:30 p.m., Monday evening a total of four johnboats were dragging the Skunk River, trying to recover the body. Two johnboats swirled around the Highway 34 bridge, where the accident occurred, focusing their search there. Two more johnboats continued the search down river.

McNamee said Henry County Conservation and Iowa Department of Natural Resources each provided a boat, as did one of his deputies and a private citizen.

The bridge is currently undergoing a painting project, according to Jason Huddle of the Iowa Department of Transportation. Huddle said painting is done to keep the bridge from deteriorating. Huddle said 300 Industrial LLC., of Hubbard, Ohio, was awarded the bid on the bridge project.

McNamee said he did not know if the individual was wearing any kind of safety harness.

Crews continued the search into the evening on Monday and once daylight broke on Tuesday.