Potosi Man Drowns In Mississippi River

A rural Potosi man is dead after drowning in the Mississippi River on Saturday. According to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, 63-year-old Mitchell Hochhausen was with his wife and two grandchildren on a sand beach island about a mile north of the Potosi Point. At around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, emergency crews were called for a possible drowning. Officials say Hochhausen swam into the river to retrieve an item that had floated away from the group. As he turned to swim back towards his family, witnesses say Hochhausen went under the water’s surface. About four hours after authorities were initially contacted, search and rescue crews located his body. He was pronounced dead at a nearby boat landing. The sheriff’s report says Hochhausen was in about six feet of water at the time he was pulled under. Several agencies from Iowa and Wisconsin assisted in the search and rescue efforts.