A young man among a group exploring tunnels in St. Paul drowned early Sunday morning after being washed into the Mississippi River during a thunderstorm, authorities said.
The incident began about 12:50 a.m. Sunday near the Marshall Avenue Bridge and ended with Ramsey County sheriff's deputies recovering the man's body about 11 a.m., the Sheriff's Office said. Two other people washed into the river survived the ordeal.
The Sheriff's Office identified the dead man as Tiquann "T.J." Davis Jr., 20 of Little Canada. Davis graduated from White Bear Lake High School in 2020.
According to the Sheriff's Office:
A call to 911 sent law enforcement and fire personnel from both sides to the river in search of possible drowning victims.
Deputies determined that five adults were in tunnels near the river, when a thunderstorm erupted. Two of the adults scrambled out, but the other three "were washed out into the river," a statement from the Sheriff's Office read.
First responders got two of the three out of the river, but not Davis. A search continued until 4 a.m., resumed at 7 a.m. and ended late Sunday morning, when his body was recovered.
Star Tribune staff writer Christina Saint Louis contributed to this report. Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
