Rice County Sheriff Urges People to Stay Off the Water

Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn told listeners of the 8:05 report Monday morning on KDHL he was leaving the scene of a potential tragedy.

The call came in just after 6AM that two duck hunters had capsized in a canoe on the Cannon River just east of Sakatah Lake near Morristown.

Dunn said he was happy to see the men were wearing life jackets and said that probably saved their lives. They lost equipment that had been in their canoe and were a little cold because they were in the water a little while until rescuers could get them to safety.

Dunn said the men were hanging onto logs in the water and said the accident hammered home the message that the water is simply too dangerous to do any recreational activity on.

The Rice County Sheriff also took the opportunity to remind us the flood waters are still affecting some county roads.

Rice County Highway Engineer Dennis Luebbe told KDHL that County Road 271 on the west side of French Lake was closed due to a culvert that was out.

County Road 95 on the south side of Cannon Lake was closed due to erosion of the road.

County Road 99 had been closed last week and was closed again Monday morning due to water lapping against the roadway and eroding the road.