A 47-year-old man is dead after the SUV he was riding in entered the Kettle River near the City of Willow River in Pine County.
According to the Pine County Sheriff's Office, first responders were dispatched to a location off Willow Street after they received a report of a Ford Escape in the water Monday afternoon.
First arriving deputies determined that the driver and one passenger were able to exit the vehicle after it entered the water but a second passenger was believed to still be in the vehicle.
A dive team from the Stacy/Lent Fire Department was called to the scene and located the vehicle in about 14 feet of water. The body of the unaccounted passenger was removed from the vehicle a few hours later.
The victim is described as a 47-year-old male from the Pine County area. The name will be released pending notification of the family and an autopsy by the Midwest Examiner's Office.
The driver of the Ford Escape was later arrested on a preliminary charge of criminal vehicular operation. Formal charges may come after a review of the reports by the Pine County Attorney.
