The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says four bodies were found Sunday within 100 yards of the crash site, where the river is 10 to 12 feet deep.
DNR officer Paul Kay says the victims were three men and a woman, all believed to be in their 20s. Their names have not been released, pending notification of their families.
The department says that along with the four missing, eight people were injured when two jon boats _ flat-bottomed boats often made of aluminum _ crashed in the O’Connell Slough area of the river before 2 a.m. Saturday. One of the boats was carrying 11 people; the other had a single passenger.
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THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.
The bodies of three people missing after a boat crash on the Mississippi River in Iowa were found Sunday, and crews continued to search for a fourth boater.
Along with the four missing, eight people were injured when two jon boats _ flat-bottomed boats often made of aluminum _ crashed in the O’Connell Slough area of the river before 2 a.m. Saturday. One of the boats was carrying 11 people; the other had a single passenger.
Paul Kay, an officer the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, said the bodies of two men and a woman were found Sunday morning. A third man was still missing. It’s not clear how the crash happened.
“Our main point is to trying to find the last missing person before we continue the investigation,” Kay said.
Authorities scoured the river near Burlington for signs of the missing boaters Saturday before calling off the search after dark. Efforts resumed early Sunday morning.
DNR spokesman Kevin Baskins said eight people were pulled from the water soon after the crash. At least one person suffered serious injuries and was flown to an Iowa City hospital, he said. The others were taken to a Burlington hospital.
The names of the missing and injured people were expected to be released Sunday, the department said.
Burlington is in southeast Iowa on the Illinois border, about 200 miles north of St. Louis on the river.
