Bay City man, 38, suspected drowned

While authorities continue to search Lake Pepin for Troy Goehrs, co-workers say the 38-year-old Bay City man will be sorely missed.

“Troy was just one of those guys that was so friendly and easy to be with,” said Red Wing Chevrolet sales associate Paul Pflueger. “He’d do anything for anyone, fun to be around, always put a smile on your face. A great guy.”

Goehrs began working at the Red Wing car dealership in the service department just this past January, Pflueger said. But in that short amount of time he made a big impression.

“In that time he had excelled. His customer service was off the charts,” Pflueger said. “He became a vital part of the service department.”

On Saturday evening, Goehrs was boating on Lake Pepin with his wife, Brenda, when he fell in the water. Brenda Goehrs jumped in to try to rescue her husband, but was unable to. She swam to shore and called authorities from a residence in Bay City.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to the area at about 6:15 p.m.

On Tuesday, officers searched the area where Goehrs fell in using boats and sonar equipment. They were also using all-terrain vehicles and aircraft to search the shoreline.

Goehrs grew up near Ellsworth, Pflueger said, and spent quite a lot of time on the water.

“The river had been a part of his life,” Pflueger said, adding that Goehrs and his wife owned their own boat. “He loved the boat, loved the river.”

Pflueger said he found out about the accident Saturday evening, and the mood in the dealership has been “pretty somber” all week. He added that it hasn’t quite sunk in yet.

“Because we haven’t found him, it doesn’t feel real yet,” Pflueger said. “I miss him. He will be a hard one to replace.”

Pierce County Sheriff’s Department is referring to the incident as a “suspected drowning.”

The department is being assisted on scene by deputies from Pierce, St. Croix, Goodhue, Dakota and Washington counties, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wardens and the Minnesota State Patrol.

Tags: lake pepin, mississippi river, news, minnesota