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A missing man's body was found yesterday (January 3) in the Wisconsin River, according to the Wisconsin Dells Police Department.
Wisconsin Dells police received a welfare check request on Sunday at about 4 p.m. for Matthew Haas, according to Chief Nicholas Brinker. The New Berlin man was last heard from at about midnight on Sunday, and last seen in downtown Wisconsin Dells at the same time. Police began a search in the area Monday based on where his cell phone last pinged, using a police dog and drones.
The search was suspended during darkness due to the steep cliffs and ravines of the wooded area along the Wisconsin River creating difficult and dangerous terrain, according to Brinker. The search began again on Tuesday morning with the assistance of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Sauk County Sheriff’s Department, and the Kilbourn Fire Department. At about 10:20 a.m., Haas' body was found in the river.
An autopsy has been planned for this week, according to Brinker. However, foul play is not suspected based on the information and evidence that has been collected thus far. “I stress that even though Matthew has been found, this is still an active investigation, and we are still following up on information and leads that we have received,” he added.