DUBUQUE — Two people are dead after a boat slammed into a floating object on the Mississippi River Saturday afternoon, throwing all three people aboard into the water and triggering a major emergency response near Dubuque.
The deadly boating accident happened at approximately 3 p.m. Saturday, October 3, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Authorities were notified that a boat had struck an object floating in the river, ejecting three occupants.
Nearby boater pulls one person from river
A nearby boat rushed to the scene and rescued one of the three people thrown into the Mississippi River.
The other two occupants were later recovered.
Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of the two people who died.
Multiple agencies converge on river
Iowa DNR conservation officers responded along with the Key West Fire Department, Dubuque County Conservation Board and Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office.
The DNR has not yet disclosed what type of object the boat struck, how fast the vessel was traveling or whether other factors may have contributed to the deadly collision.
Information about the condition of the surviving occupant also was not immediately released.
DNR investigating double-fatal crash
The Iowa DNR is leading the investigation into what caused the accident.
The agency’s most recently published 2026 boating statistics showed four recreational boating fatalities in Iowa through September 1. Saturday’s tragedy adds two more deaths as Iowa’s boating season winds toward a close.
Additional information, including the names of the victims, is expected after authorities complete family notifications and the investigation develops.