A time to be with some family members fishing, turned tragic for a man on the banks of the Cannon River, near Welch in Goodhue County.

A family member identified the victim to authorities and KTTC TV as Mor Gelay of St. Paul. Gelay was a refugee from the Southeast Asia country of Myanmar and a father of six, according to Shan Nee, Gelay's cousin.

According to the Goodhue County Sheriff's office, he was fishing on a steep part of the river bank with his family and was later found by some people that were out canoeing, about a mile and a half downstream.

The Sheriff's office told KTTC that the Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota DNR Conservation Officers started a water search with the use of an airboat and flat bottom boat with sonar. Officials say it took an hour and ten minutes to recover him.

No alcohol, drugs or foul play was involved, officials say. The incident remains under investigation.

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