The bodies of two men were pulled from the St. Croix River south of Interstate 94 after someone noticed an empty fishing boat going in circles Tuesday morning.
A caller reported seeing a body in the river near Troy Beach, south of Hudson, Wis., just after 9:30 a.m. along with an unoccupied boat nearby, according to a St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Washington County (Minn.) deputies responded by boat but initially were unable to find anyone, the Sheriff’s Office said. The unoccupied boat was found about 650 feet from the shoreline. That area of the river is about 30 to 40 feet deep, the release said.
The first body was found just before 12:15 p.m. by the Washington County dive team, the release states. The second was spotted just before 6 p.m.
At least nine agencies assisted the Sheriff’s Office with the response to the drownings.
The investigation continues, and the two victims’ names will be released after they are identified and the families are notified.