Hero dad found dead after Mississippi River search near Elk River

ELK RIVER, Minn. (FOX 9) - The body of a father who went missing in the Mississippi River near Elk River, Minn. on Friday, after rescuing both his son and daughter from the waters, has been found dead.

The Sherburne County Sheriff's Office says the body of Cody Pope, 41, was found Sunday morning after two days of searching.

Deputies said Pope jumped into the river on Friday when his son and daughter started struggling in the current near a sandbar. Pope got both children to safety but then went under the water himself.

Search crews pulled Pope's body from the river around 9:40 a.m. on Sunday near Oliver Kelley Farm between Elk River and Dayton, Minnesota.

On Saturday, witnesses recalled Pope's efforts to save his kids.

"I feel so bad, it was just awful. I was shaking by the time this thing was over, because this poor little child, she was watching her dad," witness Marianne Jackson continued.

"He’s a hero. I mean he’s absolutely a hero. My heart breaks for him, for the family," neighbor Brian Donnelly told FOX 9.