A 72-year-old Necedah man drowned Wednesday, June 24, while trying to rescue an injured eagle in the Town of Monroe, according to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said it received a missing person report June 24 for a man who had gone missing from the Browndeer Drive boat launch on Lake Petenwell. Dispatchers learned he had been missing since leaving his home around 5 p.m. June 23.
Officials learned he had gone fishing near the boat launch June 23 and saw an injured eagle in the water. He called the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and a rescue facility, which said they would respond the following morning.
The man returned home and told a family member he would go rescue the injured eagle, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies arrived on scene and used drones, watercraft and a ground search to locate the missing man. Officials found the body of Robert Marti just off the shore, with a large fishing net and eagle feathers nearby. He was not wearing a life jacket.
The sheriff’s office investigation found Marti became stuck in underwater debris off the shore and drowned.
An online obituary for Marti, whose nickname was “Rubber,” thanked the search and rescue efforts of the law enforcement agencies.
“Rubber had a lifelong love for the outdoors and the animals that called it home. Hunting and fishing trips with his brothers and friends produced enough stories to last several lifetimes,” his obituary reads.
Marti worked with the Wisconsin Carpenter’s Union, built and remodeled homes and had a gift for connecting with children, according to his obituary.
“Rubber had an incredible talent for seeing potential where others didn’t,” it reads. “There truly wasn’t anything he couldn’t fix.”
Hope Karnopp can be reached at HKarnopp@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Man drowns while trying to rescue injured eagle on Petenwell Lake
Reporting by Hope Karnopp, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Hope Karnopp, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
