21-year-old duck hunter dies swimming out to ‘downed bird,’ Nebraska sheriff says

A 21-year-old duck hunter died during a hunting trip earlier this week, Nebraska officials said.

At 8:35 p.m. Sunday, someone called the Lincoln County 911 Center to report a man drowning at Maui Lake in Fremont Slough Wildlife Area, east of North Platte.

The caller said a man who was duck hunting swam into the lake to retrieve a “downed bird” when he went underwater, a news release from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office says.

The duck hunter, later identified as Brandan Freeman, never resurfaced.

Following the call, deputies, Nebraska Game and Parks conservation officers, North Platte Fire and Rescue and the Lincoln County Dive Team responded to find the duck hunter.

“Divers worked with Game and Parks to attempt to locate the missing person, but their efforts were hampered because of darkness and the search was called off for the evening,” the sheriff’s office said.

The search resumed the next morning, and at about 8:30 a.m., Freeman’s body was found. The sheriff’s office says this was an accidental death and does not suspect foul play.

Freeman was a 2019 graduate of Stapleton High School and worked at McDonald’s along with other jobs, according to his obituary.

“He helped with farming at various times and really enjoyed this work,” the obituary says. “Brandan was very protective of his family, enjoyed being with his friends and was always the first to help someone out.”

Freeman was a dad to Hope Marie, and he was expecting a baby in February 2022.

This story was originally published September 10, 2021 at 1:12 PM with the headline "21-year-old duck hunter dies swimming out to ‘downed bird,’ Nebraska sheriff says."