Lee County deputies looking for Keokuk man

BY CHUCK VANDENBERG

PCC EDITOR

MONTROSE - The Lee County Sheriff's department is asking the public for help locating a Keokuk man.

Authorities were asked to do a welfare check just before noon Monday morning on 39-year-old Dan Oilar of Keokuk, near the Red Wing Access on the Des Moines River southwest of Keokuk.

Sheriff Stacy Weber said deputies were unable to physically locate Oilar, but were able to reach him by phone. After brief conversations with deputies on the phone, Oilar hung up on authorities and appeared to have powered down his phone prompting a search in the area of the Des Moines River.

Keokuk Emergency Volunteer Corp launched a rescue boat at Red Wing about an hour later, but Weber called off the search due to high water levels and quick moving currents, at about 2:40 p.m

"We don't even really know if he got into the river. Right now it's an attempt to locate and we're just trying to find him to make sure he's OK," Weber said. "So if anyone has any information on his whereabouts, they should give us a call."

Weber said the conditions were dangerous for rescue crews and without knowing for sure if Oilar was actually in the river, he suspended the search.

Anyone with information about Oilar's whereabouts is encouraged to call the sheriff's office at 319-372-1152.