April 18, 2010

02/07/10: R.C. Dean, 22, Fort Madison, IA

RC Dean
On Feb. 7, 2010, Ray Charles Newell Dean, who went by "R.C.," of Keokuk, IA was visiting friends in Fort Madison, IA when he fell through the ice on the Mississippi River.

According to The Hawk Eye, Dean had been walking along the riverbank with another man and fell in about 100 feet from shore near Riverview Park. The man placed the 911 call.

Fort Madison Police Chief Bruce Niggemeyer said, 'He went on the ice with another gentleman, and the other guy came back alone. The other guy heard him go into the water. He couldn't swim either, so he couldn't really help.' The identity of the other man has not been disclosed.

According to the Fort Madison Police Department, they received a report at 2:01 a.m. of the 22-year-old male falling through the ice along the river west of Riverview Park.

According to Connecttristates.com, "investigators found two sets of footprints leading to where Dean is thought to have fallen through the ice, but only one returning track of footprints.

Captain Bruce Gustafson of the Fort Madison Police Department said there is nothing that indicates foul play. He says until a body is found, this can only be treated as a missing person.

Dean's family urged the public to come out and search, saying they were hoping to be able to give him a proper burial. Dean has a 2-year old son.


Search and Recovery

On April 15, 2010, local fishermen recovered the body of RC Dean. According to the Fort Madison Daily Democrat, the body was "about a quarter mile south of the Amtrak depot near 20th Street. Gustafson said he would most likely be found not too far from where he fell into the river. He fell in at about 13th Street. The body had clothes on which matched the description of what the family had said he was wearing on Feb. 7 when he fell into the river after walking out on the ice. He wore a T-shirt and camouflage pants. He also had a billfold with a chain on it, which some searchers last Saturday hoped would get caught on a log to keep Dean from going further down river."

A wallet found in the back pocket of his pants confirmed the identity.

Fort Madison Police Chief Bruce Niggemeyer said he had searched the area where Dean was found just a few days ago and saw nothing. Gustafson said during the search last Saturday that he had been driving up and down the BNSF fire road almost every day since Dean was reported missing in hopes of finding him."




Sources

Benedict, Joe. (2010, April 16). Keokuk man's body found near FM riverfront. Fort Madison Daily Democrat. Retrieved April 14, 2010 from http://www.dailydem.com/articles/2010/04/16/news/news1.txt

Mangalonzo, John. (2010, March 24). Drowning victim's family seeks help. The Hawk Eye. Retrieved April 14, 2010 from http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Search-032410


Wells, Jarod. (2010, March 26). Final efforts from family of missing man. Connect TriStates.com Retrieved April 14, 2010 from http://www.connecttristates.com/news/story.aspx?id=435552#.UJcCqI5Z_FI


Originally Published: 04/14/10. Updated 04/18/10, 11/4/12.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://www.dailydem.com/articles/2010/02/08/news/news3.txt
Fort Madison Fire Chief Joey Herren said Dean was walking on the ice about 100 feet from the shore of the river with a friend. Dean fell through the ice and the friend called in the incident.
FORT MADISON, Iowa (WXOW) -- Authorities in Fort Madison confirm that the boy recovered Thursday (4/15) from the Mississippi River is that of 22-year old Ray Charles Newell Dean. He reportedly fell through the ice into the Mississippi River more than two months ago.

http://www.wxow.com/Global/story.asp?S=12323043
Police say two men were checking fishing lines when they discovered the body about a quarter mile from the Amtrak Station near 20th Street. Dean fell into the river near 13th Street.

An autopsy is planned.

Milliek said...

well that soves that. My sympathies to the parents. Interesting that they found him on the same day as Jonathan Lacina.