Nighttime boater missing after fall into river in St. Paul

A search was underway Saturday for the body of a boater who went overboard while fishing overnight in the Mississippi River in St. Paul.

Authorities received a call at 12:48 a.m. that a man had fallen out of a boat near the Interstate 35E bridge and Shepard Road, according to Ramsey County Sheriff's Office Sgt. John Eastham. After four hours of searching in the dark in the fast-moving, debris-filled river water, authorities suspended the search for safety reasons, then resumed it in the morning.

Two men were fishing from the boat when one encountered "an issue with the anchor," Eastham said, falling overboard. He was not wearing a life jacket. The other boater then called for help.

"These two people were acquainted, so we do know who we are looking for," Eastham said. "We're not mentioning any names."

The incident was "an unfortunate accident," he said, adding, "We cannot stress enough the importance of having a personal flotation device not just near you, but on you, during nighttime fishing."

The search is expected to continue at least through daylight hours until the man's body is found.