Saudi exchange student living in South Dakota drowns in Minnesota park

Published 10:14 am Monday, July 11, 2016

COMFREY — Authorities said a 23-year-old exchange student from Saudi Arabia who was living in South Dakota has drowned in a park in southern Minnesota.

The Brown County sheriff’s office identified the victim as Assaf Hussain Alharbi of Brookings, South Dakota.

Emergency crews were called Saturday afternoon to Mound Creek County Park, about nine miles west of Comfrey, on a report of a possible drowning.

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Alharbi was swimming with friends at the park, which has a small lake formed by a dam on Mound Creek. Sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Bentz said Alharbi apparently tried to swim to where some others were when he went under.

He was found just after 4 p.m. near the swimming beach, not far from where he disappeared. Attempts to revive him failed.