(Boone County, IA) -- A woman is dead after becoming trapped in a submerged S-U-V in Boone County. The Sheriff's Office says a Chevy Traverse went into the Des Moines River, north of the Fraser Dam on Juniper Road after rolling off a boat ramp shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday, July 29th, and citizens nearby were unable to free the woman who was trapped inside.
A dive team arrived and pulled the body of 39-year-old Denise Kuhns out of the vehicle, which was in ten feet of water. The Sheriff's Office says Kuhns had become entangled by items in the vehicle, preventing her escape.
A man, 40-year-old Benjamin Murphy of Rippey, was initially trapped but escaped. Murphy says a vehicle malfunction caused it to roll off the ramp into the water.
The Sheriff's Office says the SUV entered the water backwards. The front of the vehicle sank in the water quickly while the rear of the vehicle remained above water for a short period, prior to flooding.
Boone County Sheriffs Deputies, Boone County Search and Rescue, Boone County Emergency Management, Boone County Hospital, Ogden 1st Responders, Ogden Fire Department, Story County Sheriffs Office Dive Team, Iowa DNR, Iowa State Patrol, Mary Greeley Medical, Gilbert Fire, and Condon’s Towing, all responded to the scene.