PIERRE, S.D. – Authorities have identified a man missing in the Missouri River since Friday afternoon.
The Stanley County Sheriff’s Office says 37 year-old Lee Weber is presumed drowned.
He dove into the river just before three pm Friday approximately two miles northwest of Fort Pierre.
Weber went into the river trying to save his eight year-old son who had fallen off a moving boat. A nearby boat rescued the child, but Weber, who was not wearing a life jacket, was swept away by the river’s current.
Approximately 18 local, state and federal agencies have been involved in the search for Weber using multiple assets including boats, divers, drones, cadaver dogs and aircraft from the South Dakota Highway Patrol.
Officials say the search will continue, but be scaled back in the number of agencies being involved.
Weber has been a Deputy Sheriff with the Hughes County Sheriff’s Office since 2015.
Sheriff Darin Johnson says while it is a sad moment for his family and all who know him, it’s no surprise he jumped into the river after his son.
Lee served with the U-S military in Iraq and Afghanistan and Johnson says those around Weber will remember his unselfishness and bravery.
