HUDSON, Wis. - Search crews recovered the body of an 18-year-old man from the St. Croix River around 11:45 p.m. Monday, hours after friends saw him disappear under the surface.
Friends of Alexander Cook tell Hudson police the Lake Elmo teen was trying to swim from the Hudson dike to the Minnesota side of the river.
Cook made it approximately 50 years from shore when his friends noticed he was struggling and then went underwater. A number of them tried to rescue him but their attempts were unsuccessful.
Divers from the Washington County Sheriff's Office were called to the scene to start a recovery mission.
Hudson Police Chief Marty Jensen stressed that the current of the St. Croix is extremely strong due to its heightened water level, and urges caution for anyone who ventures in to swim.
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