CHALCO, Neb. (KMTV) — A canoe carrying two passengers tipped over at Wehrspann Lake Thursday night, prompting a water rescue search by local fire crews.
The initial call came in shortly after 8 p.m. One individual got to shore safely, while crews spent the following hours searching for the other passenger using a dive team, boat and drone.
Assistant Chief Dan Whitted said the canoe was found a couple hundred yards away from where the 2 individuals initially pushed off.
Whitted said a key priority in a search like this is pinpointing where the person entered the water.
"You want to try to get a good location of where that person went in the water is your best because then you can start judging on the currents of the water," Whitted said.
Gerardo Silva was fishing when he saw fire crews arrive at the lake. He said he did not see anything out of the ordinary on the water.
"It was a quiet night I didn't hear no splash, nobody calling for help," Silva said.
The Gretna Fire Department said it is important to wear life jackets when around water this holiday weekend. The two individuals were not wearing life vests.
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