(Gazette photo) The man who reportedly fell into the Rock River early Saturday night has been identified as 21-year-old Dakota R. Giese of Janesville. Emergency responders were called to the Rock River near Traxler Park shortly after 6:30 in the evening for a report of a man falling into the river and struggling to swim. Police say Giese was last seen in the middle of the river near the Mineral Point trailhead. Officers say Giese and a friend were walking on the Ice Age Trail near Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center when they decided to walk off the trail and toward the river’s western bank. Police say the ledge does not have a railing and the edge apparently gave way. The friend ran to call for help immediately after seeing Giese fall in. The search was suspended at about 9:45 p.m. Saturday, and crews resumed searching at about 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Firefighters say the river is flowing swiftly and visibility is low. Search crews are expected to resume their work Monday morning downstream from the Monterey Dam.
