Today marks last day of search for Dalquist in lake

TROMMALD -- Today will be the last day of the renewed search of the Virginia Mine Pit Lake for the body of 21-year-old Erika Dalquist.

Crow Wing County Sheriff's Sgt. Neal Gaalswyk, the boat and water safety supervisor, said this morning that representatives of the Trident Foundation, a non-profit organization specializing in aquatic investigation and recovery, will leave after today's search. The foundation joined the search Monday.

Crow Wing County Dive Team members and the sheriff's department searched the lake for 12 hours Wednesday and were not successful in finding a body.

"Yesterday's efforts went quite well since the weather was favorable," said Gaalswyk. "We were able to stay on task and stay late. The only thing that lacked was finding Erica."

Gaalswyk said they have two hours left on the lake today. They then will search a smaller lake to the north of the Virginia Mine Pit Lake.

"We want to search other probable areas," Gaalswyk said. "I'll feel pretty confident that if by the end of the day (if we don't find Dalquist) that she's not in this lake."

Gaalswyk said they do not have any other searches planned after today's search, unless new information becomes available. He said the next step will be to wait until the ice melts off the lakes.

Dalquist was last seen in downtown Brainerd on Oct. 30.