—Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Vinnie Harvey leads St. Edmond off the field after the Gaels defeated Van Meter in the Class 1A state semifinals in Nov. of 2013.

The Fort Dodge, St. Edmond and Iowa Central communities are mourning the loss of an all-time great with the passing of Vinnie Harvey.

Harvey, a former all-state football player and state runner-up wrestler for the Gaels, went missing over the weekend in Okoboji.

He was 23 years old.

“I want to thank everyone from the bottom of our families hearts for their efforts in finding my brother,” Maggie Harvey, one of Vinnie’s siblings, posted on Facebook. “We trust in His plan and continue to find strength within each other. I will miss you always bubba.

“We’re smiling right back up to you. Love, Maggie.”

A 2014 graduate of St. Edmond, the son of Joe and Kelly Harvey helped lead the Gaels to the 2013 football state championship round for the first time ever. He ran for over 1,600 yards and scored 35 touchdowns that year, finishing his career with over 2,400 yards and 44 TDs.

Harvey was also a standout on the defensive side of the ball, as he recorded nine sacks, 53 tackles and 14 tackles for loss as a senior.

On the wrestling mat, Harvey would place second as a senior, finishing as the SEHS career wins leader. He served this past winter as an assistant volunteer coach for the Gael wrestling program under Eugene Carlson.

“Wrestling is a family,” said Carlson, who was an assistant at St. Edmond during Vinnie’s freshman and sophomore seasons. “As wrestlers, when you come up with someone, you can tell if they wrestled. Vinnie embodied wrestling and everybody knew it.

“He was such a great kid and everyone — not just the St. Edmond community but the wrestling community and our community — suffered a tragic loss with his passing. Our deepest sympathies go out to the Harvey family.”

Following high school, Harvey attended Iowa Central and played both football and wrestled for the Tritons. He recorded 74 tackles and 7.5 sacks in two seasons.

In the hours after confirmation of his passing, family, friends, former teammates and others offered their respects to the Harvey clan and remembered Vinnie on various social media sites.