The duck hunter who drowned in Lake Red Rock over the weekend has been identified as 37-year-old Matthew Lee Bettes of Des Moines. 

On December 7th at approximately 7:06 pm, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to assist in locating a missing person. Bettes was reported missing to the Des Moines Police Department by a friend. It was reported that Bettes was duck hunting and his boat began taking on water; the reporting party was unsure of what body of water the male was hunting on.

Marion County Deputies were able to locate Bettes’s vehicle passing a license plate reader in Marion County and subsequently located his vehicle at a boat ramp at Lake Red Rock.  Members from the Sheriff’s Office, Iowa DNR, and Knoxville Fire and Rescue launched search boats Saturday evening and then suspended the search shortly after midnight. The search resumed early Sunday morning and at approximately 8:30 am the body of Bettes was located in Lake Red Rock by Marion County Sheriff Jason Sandholdt and a deputy, which was confirmed by KNIA/KRLS. 

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Iowa DNR, Knoxville Fire and Rescue, and Knoxville Rural Fire.