CLAYTON COUNTY, Iowa – DNR Conservation Officers responded to a boating incident that left two people injured on around 4:30pm Saturday, September 5, 2020 on the Mississippi River in Clayton County.
The boat is believed to have hit a large wake causing the passenger to be ejected into the water and inuring both the passenger and the operator. The operator of the boat was airlifted to the U of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics with serious injuries and the passenger was taken by ground ambulance to a Wisconsin hospital where he was treated and released for his injuries. Both men are from Cassville, WI.
Both of the men were wearing personal flotation devices (PFDs) when the accident happened. Investigators believe the PFD likely saved the life of the passenger when he was ejected from the boat and was unconscious in the water.
The DNR continues to investigate this incident.