2 gone through ice missing

[Lee Borgersen]

            In southwest Minnesota lake, 2 missing as search continues

Updated:   02/04/2015



Authorities were planning to continue a search today at daybreak for a Lake Benton man and his girlfriend who apparently have died after going through the ice on a sprawling southwest Minnesota lake, which has the same name as the nearby town.

Lake Benton is southwest of Marshall, Minn., and east of Brookings, S.D.

The search of the waters on Lake Benton began Monday and continued into the second day without success on Tuesday.

It was reported, however, on Tuesday that the vehicle had been recovered, but the pair was apparently not in the vehicle.

Lincoln County Sheriff Chad Meester was unavailable for an interview later Tuesday, said a dispatcher.

The drama began, the sheriff's department said, on Sunday about 6 p.m. when they received a missing persons' call for Bradley Lund, 54, and Brianna Thooft, 29.

The sheriff's department said the last word from the pair was an early Sunday morning cellular phone call.

As the investigation progressed, it led authorities to believe the vehicle the pair may have been in had possibly gone through the lake ice near the Norwegian Creek Campground on the north central part of the lake.

The pair, authorities said, had apparently been at an ice house on the lake earlier in the day Sunday.

Ever since the call to the sheriff's office Sunday night, a search has been underway for the two by family, friends and multiple agencies.

The search eventually became focused on the part of the lake where it's believed the vehicle went into the water in an area where aerators keep the water open.

Dive teams from nearby Codington County across the border in South Dakota were assisting in the search.

The search had resumed at daybreak Tuesday and continued until sundown.

Lund is a well-known area farmer, who has worked with his family in their farming operation for years.

Anyone with information concerning the whereabouts of the pair are asked to contact the sheriff's office at 507-694-1664.

[Lee Borgersen]

  Search continues for missing couple in southwest Minnesota lake

                By Forum News Service on Feb 4, 2015


 









LAKE BENTON - A search will enter its fourth day at daybreak Thursday for a Lake Benton man and his girlfriend who are believed to have gone through the ice in their vehicle after ice fishing in a far western Minnesota lake Sunday.







The Lincoln County sheriff's department called in more special units Wednesday in the search for Brad Lund, 54, and Brianna Thooft, 29, also of Lake Benton.

Called in to assist in the search of the sprawling Lake Benton near the town with the same name were the Hennepin County sheriff's office water patrol unit, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources air boat crews and special sonar devices. Lincoln County Sheriff Chad Meester also said various search techniques were used.

Lund is a longtime family farmer in the area. His family initiated the search late Sunday. The last contact with the two was earlier Sunday when a cell phone call was made.

[Lee Borgersen]

                                                 UPDATE


                        Woman's body recovered from Minnesota lake.


 
LAKE BENTON, Minn. -- A search crew has found one of the two missing bodies in Lake Benton after their car went through the ice Feb. 1.


Brianna Jean Thooft, 29, was found by divers Saturday afternoon, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department. The search for the body of her boyfriend, Bradley Allen Lund, 54, is still ongoing.

The Lake Benton couple are believed to have gone through the ice after an ice fishing trip. Lund’s family initiated the search late Sunday, and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have been assisting in the search.

[Lee Borgersen]

Weather makes search for body of missing Lake Benton man difficult.

Feb 8th ..............UPDATE

LAKE BENTON - Crews searching for the body of Bradley Allen Lund were unable to locate his body Sunday due to difficult weather conditions.


According to a press release, weather conditions were poor and freezing rain put a damper on the search. The St. Louis County Water Operations Personnel, Lake Benton Police Department and Lincoln County Sheriff's Office were actively searching the area.

Lund, 54, and his girlfriend, Brianna Jean Thooft, 29, disappeared Feb. 1, after their car went through the ice after an ice fishing trip. Thooft’s body was recovered Saturday afternoon, according to the sheriff's department.

The sheriff’s office will scale down the active search to visual inspection of the area around the lake and other water operation units will be contacted in the near future.

Lake Benton will continue to remain closed until further notice.

[Lee Borgersen]

 
 










 



 

 





 











 

 

                                           UPDATED!
2/15/15


Body of second missing person recovered from Lake Benton

Associated Press




Updated:   02/14/2015 06:28:04 PM CST






 

LAKE BENTON, Minn. -- Authorities have recovered the body of a second person who went missing while ice fishing on a lake in southwestern Minnesota.

The Lincoln County sheriff's office said the body of and 54-year-old Bradley Allen Lund was recovered Saturday afternoon.

Lund and 29-year-old Brianna Jean Thooft were last heard from early Feb. 1 when they apparently left a fish house on the lake. Lund's pickup later was recovered from the lake. Thooft's body was found a week ago.