Body of Fonda man recovered from Clear Lake after search effort

The body of a Fonda man was recovered from Clear Lake Thursday evening, following a multi-agency search that began earlier in the afternoon.

According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 54-year-old Dennis Blume was located around 5:30 p.m. The search began shortly after 1:30 p.m., when authorities received a report of an unoccupied fishing boat circling on the lake.

When DNR Water Patrol officers responded to the scene, witnesses had already managed to stop the boat, which contained Blume’s belongings. There was no sign of the fisherman at that time.

Search efforts intensified with assistance from the Clear Lake and Ventura Fire Departments, both of which deployed sonar technology to aid in the operation. The DNR reports that Blume’s body was ultimately recovered with the help of underwater drone equipment used by the Clear Lake Fire Department.

The incident remains under investigation by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.