Dad of 4, dog die after fishing boat capsizes on Mississippi River: ‘Huge and immense void’

A married father of four and his pup were killed when the boat he was fishing on turned over on the Mississippi River in Minnesota last week, authorities said.  

Tyler Tasche, 28, was looking to reel in a big catch with his grandfather and younger brother when their boat got too close to a waterfall in Monticello on Oct. 7, according to reports.

As Tasche attempted to turn the boat around, it capsized, tossing everyone into the water, including his black Pomeranian, his 66-year-old grandfather Mark Tasche told People.

Mark Tasche, who was the only one wearing a life jacket, made it to shore while Tyler’s younger brother, Tristian, 18, was able to flip the boat back around, the outlet reported.

But Tasche was still missing.

“I’ll never forget for as long as I live [Tristan] hollering at me to help flip the boat because he thought his brother was trapped underneath,” Mark Tasche said.

“But Tyler wasn’t there. He was gone.”

Tasche was later found by the staff at the nearby Xcel Energy power plant and given life-saving measures by responding deputies, but it was too late, the Wright County Sheriff’s Office said, according to WCCO.

His pup, Bonnie, also died in the accident.

“I don’t know that I’ll ever go on a boat again,” Mark Tasche told WCCO.

“I don’t know that I’ll fish again. I would rather Tyler would’ve survived. If I could change places with him laying on that cold slab like he is now, getting cremated like he is now, I would do that.”

The fallen fisherman leaves behind a wife and four children, ages 5 to 10, People reported.

He was a stay-at-home dad who provided care to his autistic daughter.

“It’s a huge and immense void,” Mark Tasche told WCCO. “Everybody liked Tyler. He helped everyone with everything.”