When a life-threatening emergency occurs, a mixture of professionals and volunteers is called upon to cope with the situation. This past weekend, area residents witnessed an impressive, multifaceted response to the disappearance in the Des Moines River on Sunday morning of Colin James Murphy, of Dayton.

First responders were on the scene quickly. Before long personnel from more than a dozen agencies had been mobilized. Volunteers pitched in to assist with the search and, ultimately, recovery efforts.

Unfortunately, no rescue of Murphy was possible. His body, however, was located and recovered Tuesday.

This sad outcome, however, does not detract from the skill and dedication that so many people – both professionals and volunteers – displayed.

The list of organizations and agencies that played a part in this undertaking is long. It includes fire departments from Fort Dodge, Dayton, Duncombe, Lehigh, Stratford and Webster City; Dayton Rescue Squad; Story County sheriff’s office dive teams; Iowa State Patrol; Iowa Department of Natural Resources; UnityPoint Health – Lifeflight; the Urban Search and Rescue Team of Cedar Rapids; Webster County Emergency Management; Webster County Conservation; and Webster County Sheriff’s Department. Independent K-9 handlers from Hardin, Jasper and Polk counties also helped out. The Salvation Army provided support for the rescue and recovery workers.

This well-coordinated effort deserves much praise. The Messenger is proud of the superb emergency response that took place in our community with support from across the state. We thank everyone who helped out and take special note of the spirit of service to others they showed.