Authorities in Madison County say two people who had been ice fishing drowned Monday, in a farm pond about four-miles north of Patterson. Dive teams recovered the bodies of 64-year old Linda Lou Jones, of Prole,  and her life-long friend, 80-year old George Washington Pierce, of Des Moines, Monday night.

Sheriff’s Official were notified about a possible drowning at the pond  by Jones’ husband, Larry, at around 6:45-p.m., Monday. The pair were last heard from by telephone,  about 4 1/2 hours earlier. Larry Jones told authorities he arrived home at around 5-pm Monday, and at 5:30 took his 4-wheel ATV to check on the pair at a pond near his home. That’s when he saw Pierce’ pickup, the ice fishing equipment on top of the ice, and a bucket partially submerged in the water. He also saw a hole in the ice that was several feet wide. Madison County Chief Deputy Sheriff Jason Barnes said the hole was about 10-feet from shore. The pond in that area was about 7- to 8-feet deep.