GARRETSON, S.D. (KELO AM) - The Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office says a 19 year-old man is believed drowned at Palisades State Park late Saturday afternoon. Along with the Sheriff's Office, crews from Garretson and Baltic Fire Departments, Garretson Ambulance, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, Sioux Falls Fire Rescue and Minnehaha County Emergency Management were dispatched just after 5:00 PM for a report of a possible drowning.
MCSO Sergeant Scott Dubbe says the rescue teams and divers searched for around an hour and a half, before switching to a recovery operations just before 7:00 PM. The recovery attempt continued until sunset at approximately 9:00 PM, when crews suspended their operations.
Dubbe says they got word from friends that the man was in the park's lower picnic area and jumped into the water from a rock formation. After seeing him jump and not re-surface, the friends called for help. Witnesses say the man jumped in on his own. He noted that there's some steep drop-offs and water in the area is anywhere between a couple feet to around twenty feet deep in places.
During a press update, Sergeant Dubbe said they don't believe the young man was from the immediate area. Last July, a young man from the Omaha area was swimming in the same area and drown.
Recovery operations will resume again Sunday morning at 9:00 AM. The investigation of the incident continues.
