One of the owners of a sprawling western Wisconsin retreat was found dead in a car that was submerged in a pond on the property, authorities said.
The body of Blair S. Piper, who co-owned the Big Rock Creek Retreat north of St. Croix Falls, was discovered shortly after 9:30 a.m. Sunday when emergency responders pulled the car from the water, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said Monday.
Authorities have yet to say how the car became submerged up to the roofline with the 39-year-old Piper inside.
Piper, who lived in Colfax, Wis., graduated from Breck School in the Twin Cities, and went on to receive an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin and a master's degree from the University of Missouri.
The overnight retreat, about 40 miles north of Stillwater, covers 1,600 wooded acres and includes biking and cross-country skiing trails, and waters for fishing and swimming. Its facilities are often used for wedding receptions, family reunions, graduation parties and business gatherings.
Paul Walsh
