On a late spring evening in Cedar Rapids, Nebraska, on June 8, 1940, 42-year-old Joe S. Miller was working at the Cedar River Power Plant. Employed by the Central Power Company, he and two other workers were tasked with a critical job following a period of heavy rain. Around 11:00 p.m., the trio climbed a suspension bridge to open floodgates on the dam. In a sudden and tragic turn of events, the side of the swinging bridge they were on gave way.
While his two colleagues managed to hold on to the structure, Miller lost his balance and fell into the turbulent, fast-moving river below.
Witnesses to the horrific accident believe that as he fell, Joe Miller may have struck his head, which could have hindered his ability to survive the fall into the dangerous waters. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a heavy raincoat and high rubber boots, which would have made staying afloat incredibly difficult. Though his disappearance occurred in Boone County, the investigation into the missing person and the search for his remains were handled by the Nance County Sheriff's Department. Tragically, despite search efforts and subsequent reports of a body being seen in the river between Cedar Rapids and Belgrade, Joe Miller's body was never recovered.
Joe Simon Miller was born on March 19, 1898. He was a Caucasian male with brown hair and blue eyes, standing between 5'0" and 5'5" tall and weighing between 165 and 185 pounds. A distinctive physical characteristic, recalled by family members, was that he had a gum disease that resulted in the loss of all his teeth. The case of Joe Miller is a heartbreaking story of a man who vanished while performing his duties in the face of hazardous conditions. His disappearance remains a somber event in the history of Boone County, a presumed drowning where the river became a final resting place, leaving behind a legacy of unanswered questions and a family's enduring loss.Last Seen: Jun 8, 1940
