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• Rescue crews scrambled for possible St. Croix drowning

AFTON, Minn. -- EMS and rescue personnel from two states converged over a hole in the St. Croix River early Friday evening after a homeowner off Glenmont Road in St. Croix County said he heard someone calling for help from his vantage point in the town of Troy.

The first page for EMS went out to River Falls ambulance and fire personnel at 6:30 p.m., Friday, after the caller indicated a snowmobiler appeared to have sledded into open water in area of the St. Croix between the Troy Bourne development in Wisconsin and the Afton marina about five miles south of I-94 in Minnesota.

About 6:40 p.m., the man who was relaying information about the incident to his wife, heard the voice from the river fall silent.

A Washington County, Minn., deputy soon arrived at a landing near Afton and saw snowmobile tracks leading from the Minnesota side to open water on the river. Shortly before 7 p.m., responsibility for the incident shifted from Wisconsin to Minnesota.

Among emergency services scrambled were dive teams from Stillwater, Hudson and Prescott, a Minnesota State Patrol helicopter to provide scene lighting, an airboat under Washington County's jurisdiction and personnel from the Lower St. Croix fire department.

River Falls agencies were cancelled later in the incident.

An update will be posted when more information becomes available.