Body of missing boater recovered from Mississippi River on Minnesota-Wisconsin border, sheriffs say

The body of a missing man has been recovered after his pontoon was found floating free on the Mississippi River last week between Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to authorities in both states.

Sixty-year-old Brian Daley, of Utica, Minnesota, was reported missing Thursday after his boat was spotted "floating unattended" in the river's main channel near Merrick State Park in Fountain City, Wisconsin. 

In a joint statement by the Buffalo County Sheriff's Office in Alma, Wisconsin, and the Winona County Sheriff's Office in Winona, Minnesota, Daley's body was found Friday "approximately 1.5 miles south of Lock and Dam 5."   

"Our sincere condolences are with Brian's family and loved ones. We ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time," the sheriff's offices said.  

Several agencies aided in the aerial, ground and water search for Daley, focusing on a span between Merrick State Park and Bass Camp Resort across the river near Whitman, Minnesota.