North Platte River Drowning

On July 27, 2019 at 4:25 am, the Lincoln County 911 Center received a call of a possible drowning. It was reported a male subject had fell into an irrigation gate structure on the North Platte River. Deputies, the North Platte and Sutherland Dive Team and rescue units responded to the river on North Sand Road, west of Hershey, NE.

At 4:43 am, Deputies located the deceased body twenty-three year old Matthew Bruning of North Platte, NE. Mr. Bruning was trapped in the gate structure and was eventually removed around 7:35 hours by dive team members.

Witness advised Mr. Bruning was on the gate structure and fell into the water. The investigation is ongoing; Mr. Bruning’s death was an accident.