UPDATE: Search continues for missing father of 2, Brad Nagel; Public’s help requested
(ABC 6 News) – The multi-state search continues Tuesday evening for father of two, Brad Nagel, who has not been seen or heard from since last Wednesday.
Concerns and questions only growing in the absence of 57-year-old Nagel of Goodhue County.
Law enforcement is conducting water patrol searches in the area of the Mississippi near Red Wing, where Nagel’s truck was located Sunday.
Nagel’s truck was found about 40 yards from the shore of a boat landing at the edge of Wisc. on the Wisconsin Channel, which splits from the Mississippi River.
This is where law enforcement has been focusing their efforts, hoping to find more clues about where Nagel may be.
Law enforcement found the truck after Nagel’s phone pinged on Wednesday night at a cell phone tower in Red Wing, indicating it was within four miles of the tower. From there, the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office was able to find the truck.
“We located it using sonar on our boats in a back channel of Wisconsin and then our dive team went down hooked it up but unfortunately, it was unoccupied,” said Goodhue County Sheriff Marty Kelly. “It was a needle in a haystack, but we got lucky on that.”
Tuesday, more drone searches and water patrols were conducted further down the river from where the truck was found across the river channel from Mr. Sippi Yacht Brokerage Bar in Hager City, Wisc.
Both the Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin DNR are now assisting in the search efforts for the missing father.
Other boaters are witnessing the extensive water rescue efforts being conducted throughout the back channels of the Mississippi River.
“I did meet a Minnesota DNR representative when I launched my boat, he was looking for the missing person,” said Dennis Wasley of St. Croix. “I didn’t notice anything suspicious when I was out on the water.”
As of Tuesday evening, Sheriff Kelly says there are no organized, public searches for Nagel.
“If we do need any assistance from the citizens, I guarantee I would have 200 people here within an hour just because of the kind of person Brad is and our community. I know they’ll come together if we need them again,” said Sheriff Kelly.
Sheriff Chad Koranda of Pierce County, based at the edge of Wisc., says law enforcement is also combing through local businesses and establishments for any footage that may assist in the investigation.
Monday’s searches consisted of multiple water patrols conducting by law enforcement, including from the GCSO and the PCSO. There were also numerous volunteers out searching on their own boats, hoping for signs of the missing man.
Nearly 24 hours after the truck was discovered, around 2 p.m. Monday water patrols indicated they had seen something beneath the water’s surface that was “suspicious and interesting”.
From there, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office was contacted, Sheriff Marty Kelly requesting a type of water-based rescue device similar to a “sonar robot”. Teams from near Stillwater gathered at the boat landing, using the new equipment for around an hour at the spot where Nagel’s truck was found.
According to those on scene, the crew used the robotic device to search a 15-20 feet perimeter around where the truck was found, as they say that is typically how far a swimmer would go if they were inside the truck when it went underwater.
Still, nothing was found by the time the sun had set for the night.
Dozens of law enforcement deputies, investigators and volunteers searching the back channel from sunup to sundown, but there were no big advancements made on the investigation.
Sheriff Kelly says he feels confident that Nagel is not anywhere near where his truck was found, but that river searches will continue.
Water patrols will be back out on Tuesday morning.
“We’re just looking for closure for them and to Brad,” said Sheriff Kelly. “We just want to pray; all I’m going to ask from the citizens is to pray for the family.”
If you know anything about Nagel’s disappearance or where he may have gone since last Wednesday, you are urged to contact the GCSO at 651-385-3155.
According to Sheriff Kelly, there are no current organized, public searches for the 57-year-old, whose family last had contact with him on Wednesday, Nov. 15.