3 family members and dog drown during hunting trip in Mississippi

FORT ADAMS, Mississippi -- A family hunting trip turned tragic when three people and a dog slipped below the surface of a frigid Mississippi river and never came back up.

Authorities say the bodies of a man, his sister-in-law, her 6-year-old son and a pet were found in the Buffalo River after they drowned Sunday morning, WBRZ-TV reports.

The family members had just transferred from a fishing boat to a pontoon boat when the watercraft capsized.

While a fourth person managed to swim to shore, the three hunters and the dog weren't able to get out of the water.

Family members identified the male victim as Darrin Vince. His sister-in-law was identified by police officers as city employee Madeline Hemba.

The names of the boy and the dog who drowned in the river were not immediately known.

Investigators said the four hunters were using the two boats to hunt; the pontoon boat was being used as a duck blind.

The 7-foot-deep section of the Buffalo River where they drowned was roughly 49 degrees at the time the boat capsized, authorities said.