HENNEPIN COUNTY

Employee drowns after falling into channel

At approximately 11:30 a.m. on September 11, 1995, a Hennepin County bridge insp ection crew, including Employee #1, was working under Narrows Bridge on County R oad #19 at Lake Minnetonka. One member of the crew went to inspect the area wher e the bridge and the ground connect while Employee #1 inspected part of the brid ge adjacent to the channel. According to witnesses, Employee #1 stepped onto the seawall that serves as the retaining wall for the channel, turned to his left, took a few steps, and then fell into the channel. Employee #1 appeared to strugg le for a short period of time before drowning in approximately 15 ft of water. A diver from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Water Patrol recovered the body from t he channel bottom. Preliminary autopsy results by the Hennepin County Medical Ex aminer's Office indicate that he died of freshwater drowning. Employee #1 was cl assified as a nonswimmer according to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department r eport.