Body of Xcel worker recovered from river near Granite Falls

The body of an Xcel Energy employee who fell Wednesday into the Minnesota River from a dam owned by the utility has been recovered.

The body of Thomas Stich, 50, of Harris, Minn., was recovered Friday morning downstream from the dam. He had been last seen about noon Wednesday while removing debris from the 17-foot-tall dam near Xcel's dormant Minnesota Valley plant, located about 2 miles southeast of Granite Falls, said company spokesman Tom Hoen.

Stich's brother, John Stich, of Burnsville, said that a fellow worker operating a backhoe reported that he turned his machine away to drop a load and when he turned back his co-worker was gone.

Thomas Stich's life jacket was found downstream, said Steve Roalstad, another Xcel spokesman, who was at the search site Friday morning.

Roalstad added that workers "have a harness that they can secure themselves" with, but "I don't know the exact protocol for this piece of work."

Judy Poferl, president and CEO of Xcel's regional division that is known as Northern States Power Co., said in a statement: "This is truly a tragedy for our employee's family, friends, co-workers and for all of us at Xcel Energy."