MN MN - Bryce Borca, 23, college student, seen at 2AM, search focused near Minnesota River, Eagan, 30 Oct 2022

[minneolo]

How deep is the pond? Is the scenario plausible where the divers may not see him...(I don't know alot about the water aspect)? All those dogs hitting there is pretty convincing. MOO. An answer is an answer but still, sad.

Sure it is plausible divers have missed him.

For example: In the case of Brendan Santo (a young man who disappeared after a night out at Michigan State University last year), the river running through campus was the obvious place to look. It was searched by LE on many, many, occasions before a PI located Brendan‘s remains in the river via some cameras - in a location that had been searched.

These searches, even when made by experienced, dedicated divers, are not foolproof.

ETA link to his websleuths thread

Found Deceased - MI - Brendan Santo 18, visitor, Michigan State University campus, East Lansing, 29 Oct 2021

Police searching for missing MSU visitor Brendan was last seen Friday 10/29 on the campus of MSU. He is not a student but rather a visitor.

www.websleuths.com

 

[Trino]

Sure it is plausible divers have missed him.

For example: In the case of Brendan Santo (a young man who disappeared after a night out at Michigan State University last year), the river running through campus was the obvious place to look. It was searched by LE on many, many, occasions before a PI located Brendan‘s remains in the river via some cameras - in a location that had been searched.

These searches, even when made by experienced, dedicated divers, are not foolproof.

ETA link to his websleuths thread

Found Deceased - MI - Brendan Santo 18, visitor, Michigan State University campus, East Lansing, 29 Oct 2021

Police searching for missing MSU visitor Brendan was last seen Friday 10/29 on the campus of MSU. He is not a student but rather a visitor.

www.websleuths.com

Adventures with Purpose found Kiely Rodni still underwater in her vehicle after LE had searched the area and said vehicle was not there. A VEHICLE was missed.

 

[biznez]

Hey guys, I’ve been following this along and just made an account to post. I live in this area of Eagan and had no idea about the former gravel pit behind hwy 13. I did some deeper digging and found a pit map of Dakota county confirming its location, I also found this post from 2005 talking about the possible depth of that. IMO Seems very likely that his body is there and just was unable to be recovered by LE from it. So incredibly sad for their family and friends. But I wanted to applaud all of you for this thread. This has been very helpful following along with a case that went really silent after the second day.

 

[Wltrn]

So, SO strange.
I grew up in the Midwest. In my college town, I personally helped search for 3 of the college-aged men we've lost to rivers. I always thought the Smiley Face SK theory was total garbage and just rumors due to the high amount of smiley faces spraypainted around the area (plenty). I still don't subscribe to SFSK theory but I am beginning to really wonder if all of these boys are just randomly stumbling drunk into rivers to their own demise. It's getting weirder and weirder as time goes on because it feels like there's MORE and MORE every year.

This would make an interesting psych dissertation... I swear more than alcohol is involved, like a psychedelic that draws one to water, or to disrobe and head for the hills. JMO, no victim insinuation... just fascinated at the phenomenon

 

[Marysmith]

Hey guys, I’ve been following this along and just made an account to post. I live in this area of Eagan and had no idea about the former gravel pit behind hwy 13. I did some deeper digging and found a pit map of Dakota county confirming its location, I also found this post from 2005 talking about the possible depth of that. IMO Seems very likely that his body is there and just was unable to be recovered by LE from it. So incredibly sad for their family and friends. But I wanted to applaud all of you for this thread. This has been very helpful following along with a case that went really silent after the second day.

Welcome biznez! Thank you for this. I definitely think you could be right and this is so, so sad for sure.

 

[Trino]

Welcome biznez! Thank you for this. I definitely think you could be right and this is so, so sad for sure.

Hey guys, I’ve been following this along and just made an account to post. I live in this area of Eagan and had no idea about the former gravel pit behind hwy 13. I did some deeper digging and found a pit map of Dakota county confirming its location, I also found this post from 2005 talking about the possible depth of that. IMO Seems very likely that his body is there and just was unable to be recovered by LE from it. So incredibly sad for their family and friends. But I wanted to applaud all of you for this thread. This has been very helpful following along with a case that went really silent after the second day.

If LE deems his body is in the gravel pit, do you suppose there will be a massive search there next spring? That's got to involve a lot of equipment/manpower.

 

[InternetGhost91]

If LE deems his body is in the gravel pit, do you suppose there will be a massive search there next spring? That's got to involve a lot of equipment/manpower.

sorry if this is graphic - but by spring when temps warm up, the body would decompose. would that bring a body to the surface?

i came on here to check the threads for updates about the students murdered in idaho, but today i am also thinking about the foundation bryce’s parents set up. is there any way we can find more info about this? it’s very strange. i wish we knew what the family’s logic is behind not speaking out publicly.

 

[InternetGhost91]

another idea that i can’t get out of my head - the peat moss bog and wetlands near where bryce went missing. peat moss bogs can act like quicksand and the combination of humidity and chemicals can actually preserve a body. this part of the state in Eagan/Bloomington has some of the highest concentrations of peat moss in MN.

here is an article about peat moss and how it can preserve a body:

How do bogs keep things fresh?

A construction worker discovered an ancient book of psalms while excavating an Irish bog last Thursday. Ireland's National Museum has called it "a...

slate.com

more on bogs:

Bog | Definition, Types, Ecology, Plants, Formation, Structure, & Facts

Bog, type of wetland ecosystem characterized by wet, spongy, poorly drained peat-rich soil. Typical bogs are highly acidic and only occur in areas where the water is very low in minerals. They cover vast areas in the tundra and boreal forest regions of Canada, northern Europe, and Russia.

www.britannica.com

this link says humans and animals have been known to drown stepping onto what they thought was dry land and was actually a bog. they are also referred to as a “mire”

 

[Trino]

another idea that i can’t get out of my head - the peat moss bog and wetlands near where bryce went missing. peat moss bogs can act like quicksand and the combination of humidity and chemicals can actually preserve a body. this part of the state in Eagan/Bloomington has some of the highest concentrations of peat moss in MN.

here is an article about peat moss and how it can preserve a body:

How do bogs keep things fresh?

A construction worker discovered an ancient book of psalms while excavating an Irish bog last Thursday. Ireland's National Museum has called it "a...

slate.com

more on bogs:

Bog | Definition, Types, Ecology, Plants, Formation, Structure, & Facts

Bog, type of wetland ecosystem characterized by wet, spongy, poorly drained peat-rich soil. Typical bogs are highly acidic and only occur in areas where the water is very low in minerals. They cover vast areas in the tundra and boreal forest regions of Canada, northern Europe, and Russia.

www.britannica.com

this link says humans and animals have been known to drown stepping onto what they thought was dry land and was actually a bog. they are also referred to as a “mire”

Possibility. How will anyone find him if this is what happened? Every possibility needs to be examined.

 

[megs1477]

This would make an interesting psych dissertation... I swear more than alcohol is involved, like a psychedelic that draws one to water, or to disrobe and head for the hills. JMO, no victim insinuation... just fascinated at the phenomenon

I’m from FL so please correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t part of the effects of hypothermia a feeling of heat that cases the person to undress in many cases?

sorry if this is graphic - but by spring when temps warm up, the body would decompose. would that bring a body to the surface?

I watch a lot of recovery diver YT channels and I was fairly certain they said bodies initially sunk, but would later resurface. I googled to confirm and this is a very interesting Article from NYT. BBM

Once the body sinks and goes to the bottom, its own enzymes and internal organisms, especially anaerobic ones in the intestinal tract, gradually break down the soft tissues into liquids, salts and gases, including hydrogen sulfide, methane, carbon dioxide, ammonia and hydrogen.
—————-
Putrefaction is slower in water than in air; slower in seawater than in fresh water, and slower in running water than in stagnant water.
——————
The main factor determining the rate, however, is temperature; the colder it is, the slower the decay. A body in deep, cold water may never resurface.

 

[InternetGhost91]

I’m from FL so please correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t part of the effects of hypothermia a feeling of heat that cases the person to undress in many cases?

I watch a lot of recovery diver YT channels and I was fairly certain they said bodies initially sunk, but would later resurface. I googled to confirm and this is a very interesting Article from NYT. BBM

Once the body sinks and goes to the bottom, its own enzymes and internal organisms, especially anaerobic ones in the intestinal tract, gradually break down the soft tissues into liquids, salts and gases, including hydrogen sulfide, methane, carbon dioxide, ammonia and hydrogen.
—————-
Putrefaction is slower in water than in air; slower in seawater than in fresh water, and slower in running water than in stagnant water.
——————
The main factor determining the rate, however, is temperature; the colder it is, the slower the decay. A body in deep, cold water may never resurface.

i hate to hear this. i wish LE was required to recover bodies and had to continue trying until they were recovered. surely divers can go to 150’ below surface?

do we have confirmation that this is a former quarry, or was that more word of mouth? i just so badly don’t want it to be true that he’ll never be found. all JMO

ETA re: hypothermia, yes, it’s called paradoxical undressing

Paradoxical undressing associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage in a non-hypothermia case? - PubMed

Paradoxical undressing is a phenomenon characterizing some fatal hypothermia cases. The victims, despite low environmental temperatures, paradoxically remove their clothes due to a sudden feeling of warmth. In this report, we describe a case of suspected paradoxical undressing in a...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[InternetGhost91]

i was ready to stop thinking about bryce for a while before george musser went missing. to me it’s crazy that it was just two months later. someone should really be studying this. JMO

 

[megs1477]

i hate to hear this. i wish LE was required to recover bodies and had to continue trying until they were recovered. surely divers can go to 150’ below surface?

do we have confirmation that this is a former quarry, or was that more word of mouth? i just so badly don’t want it to be true that he’ll never be found. all JMO

ETA re: hypothermia, yes, it’s called paradoxical undressing

Paradoxical undressing associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage in a non-hypothermia case? - PubMed

Paradoxical undressing is a phenomenon characterizing some fatal hypothermia cases. The victims, despite low environmental temperatures, paradoxically remove their clothes due to a sudden feeling of warmth. In this report, we describe a case of suspected paradoxical undressing in a...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Thank you! That’s the term!

Living in Florida I know a bit about diving from friends/family. It is possible to dive deep, but it becomes dangerous. The deeper you go, the longer you need to stay down (surface slowly). So you must carry more air and is limits your time.

I would be interested to know if they used any types of sonar. If the water is freezing it may be too late to do anything but wait unfortunately.

 

[lassy]

I reviewed the maps that biznez posted. If the Xs are the quarries in Eagan, those are not the locations LE has been focused on and had divers in and the K9s pointing to. The ponds directly behind Essendant and where Meadow View and Alexander meet are where the activity has been. I did find one Eagan map that labels those ponds as the ‘Gravel Pit Ponds’.
I did read that gravel pits/quarries are terms used interchangeably.
Quarries where gravel is extracted are known as gravel pits.
Quarries can be up to 400 feet deep.
They are extremely dangerous places. Steep drop-offs, vertical sides making it difficult to get out, deep water, sharp rocks, flooded equipment, submerged wire, and industrial waste make them risky. Another risk factor is the very cold water.
Guessing at the end of October, those ponds were probably very cold.
They have had numerous divers in there that were unable to locate Bryce, but seems they are pretty sure he is in there from the K9s. I heard they used sonar too. Not sure what that showed or shows.
If the temps are that cold at the bottom or if he is stuck on something, he may not float up.
And yes, the person I messaged with said it is too cold and frozen to either dig or drain them right now…which the family is considering, although will cost a small fortune. If they would do a Go Fund Me, I would contribute. I just want him back for his family.

 

[Trino]

A

I reviewed the maps that biznez posted. If the Xs are the quarries in Eagan, those are not the locations LE has been focused on and had divers in and the K9s pointing to. The ponds directly behind Essendant and where Meadow View and Alexander meet are where the activity has been. I did find one Eagan map that labels those ponds as the ‘Gravel Pit Ponds’.
I did read that gravel pits/quarries are terms used interchangeably.
Quarries where gravel is extracted are known as gravel pits.
Quarries can be up to 400 feet deep.
They are extremely dangerous places. Steep drop-offs, vertical sides making it difficult to get out, deep water, sharp rocks, flooded equipment, submerged wire, and industrial waste make them risky. Another risk factor is the very cold water.
Guessing at the end of October, those ponds were probably very cold.
They have had numerous divers in there that were unable to locate Bryce, but seems they are pretty sure he is in there from the K9s. I heard they used sonar too. Not sure what that showed or shows.
If the temps are that cold at the bottom or if he is stuck on something, he may not float up.
And yes, the person I messaged with said it is too cold and frozen to either dig or drain them right now…which the family is considering, although will cost a small fortune. If they would do a Go Fund Me, I would contribute. I just want him back for his family.

They are extremely dangerous places. Steep drop-offs, vertical sides making it difficult to get out, deep water, sharp rocks, flooded equipment, submerged wire, and industrial waste make them risky. Another risk factor is the very cold water.
Guessing at the end of October, those ponds were probably very cold.
They have had numerous divers in there that were unable to locate Bryce, but seems they are pretty sure he is in there from the K9s. I heard they used sonar too. Not sure what that showed or shows.
If the temps are that cold at the bottom or if he is stuck on something, he may not float up.
And yes, the person I messaged with said it is too cold and frozen to either dig or drain them right now…which the family is considering, although will cost a small fortune. If they would do a Go Fund Me, I would contrI

 

[Trino]

Many showed up for the initial search, and I'm sure they would contribute to Go Fund Me. I certainly will.

 

[Marzipan]

Dropping in, thinking of Bryce. I drove down Yankee Doodle yesterday in our weird-for-Minnesota rain and thought, once again, how it really is a fairly long walk from Coachman to the river. Not long if you intended a long walk or hike but not a short walk. Wondering how accurate the phone gps points were. Upon reaching 13, there are really multiple directions to continue toward river. Hoping he is found soon.

 

[lassy]

Dropping in, thinking of Bryce. Hoping he is found soon.

I still think of him almost daily. I drive over by 13 often and past his apt building. I feel bad for his family. His friends. The little kids he worked with, as someone that worked with him at some school posted that all the little kids just loved him and were wondering why he wasn’t there anymore. I think of George from Stillwater with a similar story to Bryce, but at least he was found quickly so his family has closure. Praying for closure for Bryce’s family too.

 

[Jordyt24]

New member, and just went through this thread. This is IMO as someone from the upper Midwest not the specific area. But looking through all the photos and a quick search through his social Media, it does not seem like he was particularly the ”outdoorsy” type, again this is just my opinion, but it seems very unlikely someone who doesn’t necessarily spend a lot of time outdoors, would travel into that heavily wooded and brushed area. Looking at the vegetation, that brush would be very dense and “prickly” in nature due to most the plants becoming dormant at that time. But it is also entirely possible that in an intoxicated state he thought he would be able to rough through it, due to not knowing the hazardous topography of the area. Also I know it’s been said he was heavily intoxicated, I personally have done something similar and started walking after a night of heavy drinking (again this is just me), but maybe he went off route to find a place to just lay down and pass out, something I have personally done, hopefully they find him soon.

 

[FBI Wannabe]

Eagan police released a statement from the family. Log in or sign up to view