Crews search for man who went missing on Raccoon River

By Lauren Johnson

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    VAN METER, Iowa (KCCI) — Dallas County authorities are searching for a man who went underwater on the Raccoon River.

At about 4:30 p.m. Sunday, rescue crews from several metro-area agencies rushed to the scene in Van Meter. Initial reports indicated that tubers were in distress. Officials told KCCI that a man in his mid-30s went underwater, and authorities have not found him as of Sunday night.

Craig Lonneman, a conservation officer with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, said waterways like the Raccoon River are hard to navigate and come with unseen challenges.

“We got some construction work going on the interstate, so they’re diverting water through some tubes through a diversion channel,” Lonneman said. “That’s just creating a dangerous situation here.”

The Iowa DNR urges people to use extra caution if they’re going around any of those structures.

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