TOWN OF DECATUR, Wis. (WMTV) – A 69-year-old Madison man is dead after capsizing on the Sugar River Tuesday. The Green County Sheriff’s Office Communication Center received a 911 call reporting a person was unresponsive and not breathing on the bank of the Sugar River at 3:29 p.m. in the Town of Decatur.
Officials said they used 911 GPS technology to locate the emergency in a remote portion of the Sugar River approximately 1.8 miles northwest of the City of Brodhead. According to the sheriff’s office, deputies immediately responded to the area along with Brodhead EMS, Brodhead Fire Department, Brodhead Police Department and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Conservation Warden.
Investigators believe the 69-year-old man from Madison entered the Sugar River below the dam in a kayak. Officials noted he was with a group of people when he went ahead of the group down the river. The man became entangled in trees and capsized going under water. The group was able to get the man to shore where he was unresponsive. Life-saving measures were attempted on scene.
The Green County Sheriff’s Office said the man was pronounced dead by the Green County Coroner’s Office. They said he was not wearing a life jacket. Sheriff Cody Kanable noted waterflow at the time of the incident below the dam was swift due to recent rains.
The death remains under investigation by the Green County Sheriff’s Office and Wisconsin DNR.
From Scott McElroy on FB – Some stories referenced a dam, but I think that was just for the purpose of orienting folks to a local landmark. I don’t believe that the accident was actually “dam-related” FWIW, there is a USGS gauge nearby… looks like the flow was ~430 cfs, while the long-term median for the day is ~300 cfs. This is flatwater but can be pushy and loaded w/ trees/strainers after storms.