Body of missing 18-year old man found in Fountain Lake

The Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office reported in a news release that the body of a missing 18-year-old man has been found in Fountain Lake.  

The press release stated the Sheriff’s Office received a call from a supervisor with the Albert Lea Police Department to help search the lake for the body of William Edward Bair of Albert Lea, who was reported missing at 6:51 a.m. Saturday. A social media post shared Saturday stated that Bair was last seen around 2:30 a.m. Friday morning near Cedar Avenue and Massee Street.

The Sheriff’s Office reported that two sergeants responded with the department’s patrol boat, which has a side-scanning sonar. The release stated that while the search was ongoing, the body was found in the lake by a family member searching from the shore.

The body was recovered at 11:57 a.m. Sunday from the water’s edge near Lakeview Boulevard and Wedge Street and, according to the Sheriff’s Office, was later identified as Bair.  

The body was transported to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the incident remains under investigation.

Agencies involved at the scene included the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office, the Freeborn County medical examiner, Albert Lea Fire Department and Albert Lea Police Department.