The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office says a man drowned Saturday afternoon at Pactola Reservoir west of Rapid City. The name of the victim has not been released.
Sheriff Brian Mueller says first-responders were called to the Pactola Point Picnic area about 5:20 after a man on a stand-up kayak fell off, went under, and did not come back up.
Friends who saw the incident went in to try to rescue him, but swift currents and the cold water hampered them.
Law enforcement and South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks personnel were on the scene in less than 10 minutes with the Pennington County Water Rescue Team arriving a short time later.
Four boats with side-scan sonar and a remotely-operated vehicle began the search and found the body within a couple of hours. Divers then removed it from the water.
Sheriff Mueller was on scene and attributes the quick recovery to the coordinated efforts of all the teams involved. He also says “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and his family at this painful time.”