MOSINEE, Wis. (WSAU) – Marathon County officials are confirming their recovery of two drowning victims from the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir.

The bodies of 21 year old Richard Drews of Edgar and 48-year-old Paul Locher of Kronenwetter were recovered yesterday from different parts of the lake.

Police reports say Drews jumped into the water from a pontoon boat going 20 miles per hours around 7:30pm on Friday and did not resurface. Others in the boat tried to throw the man a life preserver but he could not grab it.

Locher's body was found around 8 am yesterday. Locher left his home on Wednesday afternoon to go fishing on the reservoir but never returned.

Marathon County sheriff's lieutenant Kevin Grey says the easiest way to prevent drownings would be to be wearing a personal flotation device. “Certainly in the case of the 21-year-old where he had people with him, certainly if he had a PFD on they would have been able to assist him.” Grey's been on the dive team since 1994, and says people should take classes in boating and water safety and make sure to keep those in their boat safe as best they can.