Divers Locate Body Of One Of Two Missing Fond du Lac Men

An emotional week for two area families has a little more closure, as divers Wednesday evening located the body of one of two missing Fond du Lac men in Lake Winnebago. Dakota Goldapske and Michael Gohde have been missing since late Monday evening and presumed drowned.

In a press release issued by Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt, divers late Wednesday afternoon located one of the bodies in an area that had been the main focus of the search. One of the victims was pulled from the water and turned over the Medical Examiner’s Office, where they will work with both families to confirm the identity. Due to strong winds, turbulent waters and freezing temperatures, the search for the second victim was suspended, with the recovery effort continuing tomorrow.

The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Department with assistance from the Wisconsin DNR had spent the past two days searching for the missing men. Search and Rescue teams were on the water late Monday night following the 911 call from the two men, who were in a canoe and fighting 45 mph winds and 4′-5′ foot waves. Dakota Goldapske and Michael Gohde, who were best friends, reportedly were out fishing in the marsh when the wind gusts began pushing them out of the marsh and into Lake Winnebago.

The two men did not have any floatation devices with them and were in the canoe when the first call was made. Shortly after they were tossed into the water, but were able to maintain contact with the Fond du Lac County Dispatch Center. Within minutes, that communication was lost and the search was on.

Rescue boats were on the water but had a difficult time navigating the shallow waters in and around the channel leading out to the lake. A Coast Guard helicopter was also called to the scene, and after arriving just before 10:47 p.m. Monday evening, began a very thorough search from the air. The Coast Guard spent almost 5 hours scouring the lake, finally postponing the search about 4:00 a.m.

GoFundMe pages have been started for both men, with a goal of raising at least $10,000 for each of them.