Seventh Drowning Claimed By Missouri River in Area

The body of a four year old Omaha boy was found Monday after the boy drowned on the Missouri River South of Blair Saturday. The boy apparently was swept into the Missouri River after playing in shallow water near the bank.

Timothy Vilcinskas, 5406 Weir St., who would have been 5 Wednesday, disappeared into the water Saturday.

A search Saturday and Sunday by deputies from the Harrison County, Iowa, Co. Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary patrol and Iowa Conservation Commission failed to find the youngster.

Harrison County Deputy Sheriff Merle Sass said Timothy was with his father, Frank, and uncle, Zigmas Vilcinskas, and two cousins, Brian, 5, and Jeffrey Vilcinskas, all of Omaha.

He said they had left their boat on the Iowa shore about one mile south of the Blair bridge. Timothy’s father and uncle started a fire on the bank while the youngsters played in the water, said Sass. Timothy, who was not wearing a life jacket, was apparently dragged in by a strong current.

Timothy’s body was found 7:30 p.m. Monday, August 13 about 5 miles north of N. P. Dodge Park by a neighbor of the family, Alan Deyo, who is a boater and was helping in the search.

Omaha Sheriff’s office said that the youngster had reportedly been in the boat Saturday and had jumped from the boat into the water when it occurred.

Divers found that current at water’s surface allowed them to float in circles to search but when they weighted their bodies, and went to bottom they could only make one circle before the undercurrent carried them out into the channel and they had to be pulled back by rope to the accident’s general area.

There have been seven drowning this year between Blair and Omaha area on the river. “That number is up from last year but so is traffic, “Sheriff’s office said.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~

Find a Grave Memorial #146312938