By Alexander Fern / Assist. News Director

A Cold Spring man died Sunday after drowning in the Sauk River.

The Stearns County Emergency Communications Center received a call just before 2 p.m. from someone who reported there was a man in the Sauk River. The man was under the water 40 feet from the shoreline near the address on County Road 49, just south of Cold Spring.

The victim has been identified as 69-year-old Lee Ellwein of Cold Spring. Authorities determined that Ellwein walked into the river to try to recover a boat lift cover that had blown into the water due to the strong winds.

Ellwein was under the water for 15-20 minutes before being recovered, and was pronounced dead at the scene.