Drowning victims' bodies recovered at Big Eau Pleine Reservoir

By The Associated Press

CREATED Jun. 24, 2012

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MOSINEE - Authorities in Marathon County have recovered the bodies of two men who drowned at the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir this week.

Sheriff's Lt. Ted Knoeck says the body of 21-year-old Richard Drews of Edgar was found Friday about 11 p.m. Later the next morning, authorities recovered the body of 48-year-old Paul Locher of Kronenwetter.

Witnesses reported that Drews had been with family members Friday when he jumped off the side of a boat.

Cary Pellowski is with the Marathon County Dive Team. He says Drews began to struggle and his family threw him a life preserver but he couldn't grab it. He went underwater and never resurfaced.

Locher had been missing since Wednesday night, after he didn't return from a daylong fishing trip.