John Mangalonzo, The Hawk Eye, Burlington, Iowa –
The bodies of four missing people following a boating collision early Saturday morning near Burlington have been recovered.
All four of the victims were in their early 20s and their bodies were recovered within approximately 100 yards of where the collision occurred in about 10 to 12 feet of water. None of the victims were wearing life jackets.
The first to be pulled out the river at 7:25 a.m. Sunday was the female victim. Sonar technology was instrumental in the recovery of the bodies.
The names of the victims as well as eight others who were injured in the collision have not been released pending notification of family members.
The collision occurred between two jon boats, one with a single passenger and the other carrying 11 people, in the O’Connell Slough, just off the Mississippi River. The call for rescue personnel came in at 1:43 a.m.
The Des Moines County Sheriff’s Department, the Burlington Police Department, the Burlington Fire Department and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources responded to the call.
One of the people injured was air-lifted to University Hospitals in Iowa City while the other seven were taken to Great River Medical Center in West Burlington.