Body found in river near Belle Plaine

Scott County Sheriff’s deputies have recovered a body from the Minnesota River near Belle Plaine, not far from where an unoccupied boat was found Monday, Sept. 2.

This was the fourth day of search efforts to find a missing boater. A 2002 Lund 17-foot open boat with a 60 hp Evinrude motor was found running and unoccupied near the shoreline of the river at 10:50 a.m. Monday. The boat, as well as a truck and boat trailer at a nearby landing, belonged to Bruce Copenhaver, 62, of Watertown.

Authorities found the body at about 7:42 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 5. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office will make a positive identification and determine cause of death. At this time, no foul play is suspected.

Scott County Sheriff Luke Hennen said in a press release that multiple agencies were searching the shoreline and the water using boats and sonar technology trying to locate the body. These agencies included the Carver, Hennepin and Sibley county sheriff’s offices, Department of Natural Resources, Belle Plaine, Carver and Henderson fire departments and Ridgeview Ambulance.

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