A Maplewood man is dead after his tube flipped on the Crow River in St. Michael, sending him downstream without a life jacket.
The Wright County Sheriff’s Office released a statement over the weekend saying a trio of people were tubing on the Crow River in St. Michael around 5 p.m. Saturday, July 6 when one of the tubes flipped after hitting a tree.
64-year-old Andrew Urbanski of Maplewood was riding the tube and fell off. Urbanski was last seen by a group of kayakers floating downriver. Authorities say he was not wearing a life jacket.
After several hours of searching, first-responders located his body in the river.
Wright County deputies were assisted by the St. Michael Fire Department, Dayton Fire Department and the Minnesota State Patrol Helicopter during the search.
Authorities are cautioning those who use the river with tubes, kayaks and canoes to be careful as the water has predominantly been high and fast-moving this spring and summer. Downed trees have created hazards after flooding caused shoreline erosion. And approved life jackets should always be worn on the water.