Body of Hughes County Chief Deputy Sheriff Lee Weber recovered from Missouri River

July 10, 2020

FORT PIERRE, S.D.–The Stanley County Sheriff’s Office says the body of Lee Weber from Pierre was found Thursday afternoon on the Fort Pierre side of the Missouri River.

The body eventually was covered by an American flag and carried by law enforcement officers to a waiting funeral vehicle. A procession of law enforcement vehicles escorted Weber’s body to the funeral home.

Weber was the chief deputy for the Hughes County Sheriff’s Office and served in the South Dakota National Guard in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“This is a very sad moment, but we also are very relieved that Lee’s body was found,” said Hughes County Sheriff Darin Johnson. “It is important that the family and his friends have closure. Lee deserves this tribute.”

The 37 year-old Weber jumped into the river last Friday in an attempt to save his eight-year-old son who had fallen from a boat. The child was saved by a nearby boat.

But Weber, who was not wearing a life jacket, was swept away by the river’s current.