SPRING GREEN, Wis. — It’s been five days since 22-year-old Parker Kruse went missing on the Wisconsin River in Spring Green, after a boating accident where family says he jumped out to help another person in the water.
Dozens of volunteers gathered at the Wisconsin Riverside Resort for a fifth day of searching on Wednesday, with volunteer organizations like Bruce’s Legacy, Wings of Hope, Minnesota-Wisconsin Search and Rescue joining local fire departments in the search.
Several K-9 teams were out on the water, where volunteers said they were using sonar technology to probe the waves.
“There were areas out there today where we went from like 2 feet of water to 9 feet of water within 6 feet of driving it,” Melinda Clark with Minnesota-Wisconsin Search and Rescue said. “K-9s can detect from quite a distance–land, water, you name it.”
Ultimately, the goal is closure for the family in the search-and-recovery effort. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is leading the investigation, and said they had their own boats out on the water as well on Wednesday, and were grateful for the volunteer efforts.
“When it’s not going to be a great ending, the family needs closure,” Clark said. “I can’t imagine what they go through having to deal with this. But that’s what we train our dogs to do.”
There’s been 13 boating fatalities in Wisconsin through June 21, according to the latest DNR data. Last year, the DNR recorded 22 deaths. The family urged boaters to use life jackets to prevent tragedies like this, when they spoke to News 3 Now earlier this week.
“To have a sheriff come to your door and ask you if you’re somebody’s parent,” Jackie Johnson-Kruse said. “It’s the worst. You never want to go through this.”
Wednesday, Clark said her dog honed in on one area in particular, but by Wednesday evening searches said there still had been no luck in a recovery.
“Water’s very difficult, especially in the river, because the river moves so fast,” she explained. “Sometimes it could be there, sometimes it could already have moved. It’s worth checking out but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have an outcome.”
The Spring Green Fire Department chief said that they have a water response to calls on the river between 4 and 6 times a year.
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