Tugboat Accident Leaves Minnesota Man Dead

The body of 22-year-old Tyler Trussoni was recovered from the second floor of the Megan McB tugboat on Wednesday afternoon according to UPI.com.

Trussoni and two of his crew members were caught in a flow that sent them over the rollers of the Lock and Dam No. 7 near Dresbach, Minn., WCCO reported Wednesday.

The Winona County Sheriff Dave Brand says divers found Trussoni’s body on the second floor of the Megan McB tugboat around 3:15 p.m.

“One diver did go in and found the deceased 22-year old male in not the top floor, but the second floor down,” said Winona County Sheriff Dave Brand.

According to WKBT, High water and increased current speeds swept the boat through the roller gates on the dam, destabilizing the M/V Megan McB, causing it to take on water.

Brand said a 911 call came in around 6:15 Wednesday morning about a tugboat that went through a rollergate at Lock and Dam Number 7 in Dresbach, Minnesota.

“The three people inside, three males, two of them got out, they all had lifejackets on,” said Brand

All three men worked for Brennan Marine in La Crosse, and the two who were rescued were taken to a La Crosse hospital.

According to WEAU.com, Brand said the third man, 22-year-old Tyler Trussoni of Genoa was found around 3:15 Wednesday afternoon on the second floor from the bottom of the tugboat, which had four floors.

Several agencies helped with the search including, the dive and rescue teams from La Crosse and Winona Counties.

“Everyone did a great job, and we did the best we could as quickly as we could with the manpower that we had,” said Brand.

There was recently news of a tugboat sinking off the coast of California in April in which four people had been rescued.

As far as the tugboat accident that left a Minnesota man dead, the incident is still under investigation.

[Image via Shutterstock/Gary Blakeley]