Body found in one of two vehicles recovered from Minnesota River in Bloomington

Hennepin County search crews recovered a body in one of two vehicles that were pulled Tuesday from the Minnesota River in Bloomington.

The vehicle with the body inside was about 24 feet underwater, Sheriff Dawanna Witt said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon at the recovery site near the Lyndale Avenue Boat Launch, on the north bank of the Minnesota River just east of Interstate 35W.

At about 2:45 p.m., the second vehicle was pulled from the river, the Sheriff’s Office said. There was no one inside.

“It appears that vehicle had been in the river for some time, and we believe the two incidents are unrelated,” a Sheriff’s Office statement read.

Emergency responders were first called to the site late Sunday after bystanders saw a person drive a vehicle into the water. The identity of the person found in the vehicle has not been released.

Search boats also placed a hook on the second vehicle. It was found near the first vehicle with the use of sonar equipment. Both vehicles were about 500 feet downstream from the boat launch, Witt said.

Witt said investigators are working to determine what happened, but she warned that fast current and high water levels make for a dangerous situation and that anyone who enters the water should be wearing a lifejacket.

“People need to know, with the current and the water levels right now, to be extra cautious,” Witt said.

The strong current also made it difficult for searchers to reach the vehicles, she said.

The boat launch parking lot remained blocked off by caution tape at about 2 p.m. An Allina Health ambulance was waiting in the parking lot along with several Sheriff’s Office pickup trucks with trailers to transport the boats. A couple of piles of diving equipment used by the Sheriff’s Office dive team were seen near the shore.