BLOOMINGTON – The body of a missing man was found in floodwaters Sunday morning.
On Saturday at approximately 7:45 a.m., a man called the Bloomington Police Department to report his brother, 31-year-old Colten Booe, of Bloomington, was missing.
According to Bloomington Police Captain Ryan Pedigo, Booe was last seen on Friday night in a vehicle that had been driven into rapidly-moving floodwaters near the intersection of South College Avenue and West Dodds Street.
The caller told police he had attempted to find his brother at various locations but had been unable to do so.
Investigators discovered Booe had been with a friend on Friday night and was traveling south on College Avenue in a 2016 Nissan Versa. The 29-year-old friend told investigators that the Booe was driving the vehicle and they had attempted to drive through floodwaters near the intersection of South College Avenue and West Dodds Street. The friend stated that as they were driving through the rushing water, the vehicle began to drift and eventually collided with an unknown object. The friend said he climbed out of the open passenger window of the vehicle and was immediately dragged underwater for several seconds. He was eventually able to grab tree branches and pulled himself from the floodwaters, but never saw Booe or the vehicle again.
The man contacted a family member to pick him up and he was taken to the hospital for treatment of several injuries.
Upon receiving the missing person report, officers began checking the banks of the flooded creek and located the Nissan Versa at approximately 8:45 a.m. on its side in floodwaters in Switchyard Park. A diver from the Indiana State Police was able to get to the vehicle but Booe was not inside it.
Police say the vehicle had extensive damage as a result of being swept down the flooded creek.
Officers checked the areas around Switchyard Park but were unable to locate Booe.
On Sunday at approximately 8:45 a.m., a group of searchers consisting of Booe’s family and friends located his body in a pile of flood debris approximately 50 yards south of County Club Drive near Clear Creek.
Officers responded to the scene. Monroe County Coroner Joani Shields responded to the scene and positively identified the body as Colten Booe.
An autopsy is scheduled for today to determine the cause of death.
