ASHLEY, N.D. – A Minnesota man hunting in McIntosh County on Wednesday drowned in a slough north of Ashley while attempting to help rescue a dog who was retrieving a bird that had fallen into the water.
Christopher Hendricks, 30, of Champlin, MN, was waterfowl hunting in the Eszlinger Waterfowl Production Area in rural McIntosh County with a friend, Maxwell DiVenere, in the morning. Upon shooting a bird, the mens’ hunting dog was sent into the water to retrieve it, approximately 100 yards from shore. When the dog reached the bird, it became caught up in a thin sheet of ice and began struggling to free itself.
Hendricks removed his bulky clothing and began swimming toward the dog, according to DiVenere’s statement to McIntosh County Sheriff Steve Delzer. He reached the dog and the two began returning to shore. DiVenere saw that Hendricks was showing signs of distress, so he swam out to assist him.
According to Delzer, DiVenere said Hendricks was unable to help himself at all. The two men were holding on to each other, however Hendricks eventually let go of DiVenere and slipped below the surface. Fearing for his own safety, DiVenere returned to shore, as did the dog.
DiVenere contacted the N.D. State Emergency Communication Center around 12:55 p.m., and the sheriff’s office, Ashley Ambulance Service and Ashley Fire and Rescue were dispatched to the scene. Ashley Fire and Rescue personnel were first on the scene and encountered DiVenere, who was transported to the Ashley Medical Center for treatment related to exhaustion and exposure.
The Stutsman County Dive and Rescue team responded to the scene, arriving at about 3:15 and began search operations using a sonar-equipped remote vehicle. Water in the slough was extremely murky, according to Delzer, and the search continued until about 10:20 p.m.
The recovery operation resumed Thursday morning about 10:15 a.m. At the request of Stutsman County Sheriff Chad Kaiser, a member of the Dive and Rescue team, the Stutsman County Drone Team joined the operation. Hendricks’ body was found about 1:50 p.m. approxinately 40-50 yards from shore. He was transported to Feist Funeral Home in Wishek. Family members including his parents, two uncles, a close friend and DiVenere, were at the scene throughout the recovery effort, Delzer said.
According to the State Forensic Examiner’s Office, no autopsy will be performed since Hendricks’ death was a witnessed drowning with no foul play suspected. Therefore, no exact cause of death has been determined.
Since the area is part of a federal waterfowl protection area, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel were also involved in the operation. Other agencies assisting in the recovery included the McIntosh County Sheriff’s office, Wishek Police Department, N.D. Highway Patrol and N.D. Game and Fish Department.
Delzer was highly complimentary of all the agencies and individuals involved, stating “absolutely everyone on the scene played an important role in successfully recovering Hendricks’ body.”
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