Lowhead dams, bad news

External Since: Aug 03, 2003 Posts: 41

Two Brothers Drown in Minnesota Waters

WATSON, Minn. (April 9) - A 12-year-old boy drowned after he tried to ride the
middle chute of a dam like a water slide, and his older brother died trying to
save him.

Brandon Dornbusch, 12, became trapped Monday in the hydraulics of the water
below the small spillway, a narrow channel that carries water from the Chippewa
River beneath a road bridge, authorities said.

"It looks like something you'd see in a water park, but it isn't. Not anywhere
near that. It's deadly," said deputy Tim Christensen of Chippewa County in
southwestern Minnesota.

Brandon's older brother, Justin, 14, tried to help, first using a fishing pole
but then following his brother down the same, smooth-looking chute. He, too,
was caught in the powerful waters.

Their 11-year-old stepsister, Chelsea, pedaled her mother's bicycle nearly a
mile to town to summon help. Rescuers later found the boys' bodies downstream.

Mona Dornbusch, the boys' stepmother, said they had gone to the dam to fish and
that she had warned them to stay on shore. She said the boys had been each
other's protectors.

"They weren't done with their lives yet," she said, fighting back tears.

06/09/04 06:28 EDT

External Since: Feb 02, 2004 Posts: 8

"Paddlec1" <paddlec1 RemoveThis @aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040609094029.11585.00000786@mb-m04.aol.com...
> Two Brothers Drown in Minnesota Waters
>
> WATSON, Minn. (April 9) - A 12-year-old boy drowned after he tried to ride
the
> middle chute of a dam like a water slide, and his older brother died
trying to
> save him.
>
> Brandon Dornbusch, 12, became trapped Monday in the hydraulics of the
water
> below the small spillway, a narrow channel that carries water from the
Chippewa
> River beneath a road bridge, authorities said.
>
> "It looks like something you'd see in a water park, but it isn't. Not
anywhere
> near that. It's deadly," said deputy Tim Christensen of Chippewa County in
> southwestern Minnesota.
>
> Brandon's older brother, Justin, 14, tried to help, first using a fishing
pole
> but then following his brother down the same, smooth-looking chute. He,
too,
> was caught in the powerful waters.
>
> Their 11-year-old stepsister, Chelsea, pedaled her mother's bicycle nearly
a
> mile to town to summon help. Rescuers later found the boys' bodies
downstream.
>
> Mona Dornbusch, the boys' stepmother, said they had gone to the dam to
fish and
> that she had warned them to stay on shore. She said the boys had been each
> other's protectors.
>
> "They weren't done with their lives yet," she said, fighting back tears.
>
>
> 06/09/04 06:28 EDT
>

That's heartbreaking.