A 49-year-old man from Sioux Falls has been identified as the person killed in a boating incident over the weekend on Lake Oahe north of Pierre/Fort Pierre.
Hughes County sheriff Darin Johnson says first responders located Loyal Lee Bossert’s wallet in his pickup at the West Shore boat ramp. Johnson says it appears Bossert accidentally fell out of the boat and was fatally injured by the boat’s propeller.
Bossert was the only occupant of the boat. Alcohol was not a factor. His death has been ruled accidental.
The Pierre Fire Department Rescue Squad and Dive Team was dispatched about 10:30am Saturday. Rescuers were able to stop the circling fishing boat and returned it to shore. Searchers began a grid search in the area and scanning equipment showed a location of interest in approximately 20 feet of water. The Pierre Dive Team deployed a diver who recovered Bossert’s body.
Also assisting with the recovery were South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks and the South Dakota Highway Patrol.
Pierre Volunteer Fire Department assistant chief Paula Tronvold says their Rescue Squad and Dive Team were dispatched about 10:30am Saturday to a report of an unoccupied boat circling in the water about one mile from the Peoria Flats boat ramp north of Pierre/Fort Pierre.
Tronvold says Lake Oahe is a huge lake, which makes search and rescue even more challenging.
Tronvold also recommends using a strategy often associated with winter driving– let someone know where you are and when you plan to be back.
