MN MN - Bryce Borca, 23, college student, seen at 2AM, search focused near Minnesota River, Eagan, 30 Oct 2022

Noooo I hate to read these! I am sad to say I believe he will be found deceased in water, and tox reports will show alcohol.

It’s a very sad phenomena- the combination of young adult male confidence, drinking, and water can often prove fatal. There is NOT a serial killer hiding in the woods waiting for drunk college men to pass through so they can drown them… moo
 
I hope he's found soon. I used to live right here, as in off of Yankee Doodle but 1 road over from Coachman. It is very suburban. Very suburban. Not somewhere that you'd regularly be walking to get around. Spread out, retail and commercial buildings along Yankee Doodle with residential units off of the roads branching off of it. He had to have left someone's home or apartment, as there are no bars or restaurants open at 2 am in that area, that I know of. For sure not at Yankee Doodle and Coachman.

RE: the college student and water connection...one would have to really try to get in the river in this area. Look at a map - it's swamp surrounding the river right there, plus he would have had to walk a ways on Yankee Doodle, cross Hwy 13, which is 4 lanes with a median, then trek through more of the Blue Cross Blue Shield campus. No way for anyone to drunkenly fall off of a bridge or slide down a bank into the water. Falling down in the swampy area, maybe. Getting lost in the woods east of BCBS, maybe.

If he is a student at Century College, it is 25 minutes away in White Bear Lake. I'm pretty sure it's a nonresidential school.
Thanks for your insight.

It was reported that Bryce was leaving a house party and indicated he was walking home. I wondered if there were any apartments along the river and/or if he would have to come near the water during his walk. I also wondered if there was any nature area with docks, etc. that people would go to watch the river.
 
Thanks for your insight.

It was reported that Bryce was leaving a house party and indicated he was walking home. I wondered if there were any apartments along the river and/or if he would have to come near the water during his walk. I also wondered if there was any nature area with docks, etc. that people would go to watch the river.
No, nothing is right along the river in that area. Nothing residential west of Hwy 13 in the vicinity of Yankee Doodle. Like I said earlier, one would really have to try to get in the water there. The Minnesota River, in the south metro, is not really a recreational area. The river is far enough away from Hwy 13 that you don't even notice it's there, you can't see it as you drive along. I do not believe that he was walking in the direction of his home, IMO.

I strongly recommend that people look at a map of this area to get a better feel for what it's like. Again, unless you know that the river is there, you just...don't know that the river is there, if that makes any sense.

ETA: It could be that he somehow accidentally made it to the water, but it just seems so unlikely to me due to how far one would have to walk past and through very commercial, almost industrial campuses...parking lots, large warehouse-like office buildings...across a state highway...completely not where I imagine he was headed (I think he wanted to go east on Yankee Doodle toward "civilization," not west toward Hwy 13 and the river).
 
No, nothing is right along the river in that area. Nothing residential west of Hwy 13 in the vicinity of Yankee Doodle. Like I said earlier, one would really have to try to get in the water there. The Minnesota River, in the south metro, is not really a recreational area. The river is far enough away from Hwy 13 that you don't even notice it's there, you can't see it as you drive along. I do not believe that he was walking in the direction of his home, IMO.

I strongly recommend that people look at a map of this area to get a better feel for what it's like. Again, unless you know that the river is there, you just...don't know that the river is there, if that makes any sense.

ETA: It could be that he somehow accidentally made it to the water, but it just seems so unlikely to me due to how far one would have to walk past and through very commercial, almost industrial campuses...parking lots, large warehouse-like office buildings...across a state highway...completely not where I imagine he was headed (I think he wanted to go east on Yankee Doodle toward "civilization," not west toward Hwy 13 and the river).
Thanks again for your firsthand knowledge.

In reviewing maps, access to the river is quite remote and would take considerable effort as you mentioned. The only other "water" I see is what appears to be some small ponds on the southside of Yankee Doodle near Coachman around Oak Hills Church. Not knowing where Bryce lives, I do see a lot of apartments along the northside of Yankee Doodle. Since he indicated he was walking home, I would think it would be in close proximity.
 
No, nothing is right along the river in that area. Nothing residential west of Hwy 13 in the vicinity of Yankee Doodle. Like I said earlier, one would really have to try to get in the water there. The Minnesota River, in the south metro, is not really a recreational area. The river is far enough away from Hwy 13 that you don't even notice it's there, you can't see it as you drive along. I do not believe that he was walking in the direction of his home, IMO.

I strongly recommend that people look at a map of this area to get a better feel for what it's like. Again, unless you know that the river is there, you just...don't know that the river is there, if that makes any sense.

ETA: It could be that he somehow accidentally made it to the water, but it just seems so unlikely to me due to how far one would have to walk past and through very commercial, almost industrial campuses...parking lots, large warehouse-like office buildings...across a state highway...completely not where I imagine he was headed (I think he wanted to go east on Yankee Doodle toward "civilization," not west toward Hwy 13 and the river).
Thx you. I live down the mn River a bit but know the area because of blue cross campus.
According to flightradar24 a patrol helicopter is sweeping the area now east of highway 13 and just north of highway 77 in the fen area and not in the river. It has been up an hour at <1000 ft and 10 mph.
I did see on sm that they had a big turn out of searchers.

Prayers
Imo
I have boys this age and older and i still worry about them and have life360 (they don't mind but I try not to stalk them too much).
 
I wonder why the search is focused near the Minnesota River? This doesn't sound good

I wonder why the search is focused near the Minnesota River? This doesn't sound good.
That bank of the River (east bank) is all backwater and slough. Possible he was looking for the bike trail that runs along the river. That assumes he intended to cross the river as there are pedestrian river crossing bridges north and south of Yankee Doodle. It would be easy to get hung up in bad footing between 13 and the trail.
I wonder why the search is focused near the Minnesota River? This doesn't sound good.
 
I hope he's found soon. I used to live right here, as in off of Yankee Doodle but 1 road over from Coachman. It is very suburban. Very suburban. Not somewhere that you'd regularly be walking to get around. Spread out, retail and commercial buildings along Yankee Doodle with residential units off of the roads branching off of it. He had to have left someone's home or apartment, as there are no bars or restaurants open at 2 am in that area, that I know of. For sure not at Yankee Doodle and Coachman.

RE: the college student and water connection...one would have to really try to get in the river in this area. Look at a map - it's swamp surrounding the river right there, plus he would have had to walk a ways on Yankee Doodle, cross Hwy 13, which is 4 lanes with a median, then trek through more of the Blue Cross Blue Shield campus. No way for anyone to drunkenly fall off of a bridge or slide down a bank into the water. Falling down in the swampy area, maybe. Getting lost in the woods east of BCBS, maybe.

If he is a student at Century College, it is 25 minutes away in White Bear Lake. I'm pretty sure it's a nonresidential school.
I agree. The BCBS woods are tiny. I use to walk my dogs there and could traverse it in either direction in 5 minutes. I wonder where his home is. It may shed light on where he was going. Was he trying to get to the bike path west of 13? No easy way to the river from the east bank. I can see the heli from my front window. I have a 23 year old son and this makes me sick. It could be anyone's kid.
 
No, nothing is right along the river in that area. Nothing residential west of Hwy 13 in the vicinity of Yankee Doodle. Like I said earlier, one would really have to try to get in the water there. The Minnesota River, in the south metro, is not really a recreational area. The river is far enough away from Hwy 13 that you don't even notice it's there, you can't see it as you drive along. I do not believe that he was walking in the direction of his home, IMO.

I strongly recommend that people look at a map of this area to get a better feel for what it's like. Again, unless you know that the river is there, you just...don't know that the river is there, if that makes any sense.

ETA: It could be that he somehow accidentally made it to the water, but it just seems so unlikely to me due to how far one would have to walk past and through very commercial, almost industrial campuses...parking lots, large warehouse-like office buildings...across a state highway...completely not where I imagine he was headed (I think he wanted to go east on Yankee Doodle toward "civilization," not west toward Hwy 13 and the river).
If he made it to the water it would be Gun Club Lake or the gravel pit ponds. It would take considerable effort to reach either. It's all mud and swamp leading up to them. I saw the helicopter in that area.
 
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I agree. The BCBS woods are tiny. I use to walk my dogs there and could traverse it in either direction in 5 minutes. I wonder where his home is. It may shed light on where he was going. Was he trying to get to the bike path west of 13? No easy way to the river from the east bank. I can see the heli from my front window. I have a 23 year old son and this makes me sick. It could be anyone's kid.
Is the helicopter still up? It dropped off Flightradar24 a little while ago.

Following along elsewhere has led me to believe that he would have been expected to walk east along Yankee Doodle, but he went west, according to phone pings. You'll know this - traveling west on YD from Coachman looks a lot different from traveling east on YD from Coachman - it doesn't take long going east before you run into shopping plazas, restaurants, etc. while going west, things are clearly more spread out, less well-lit, etc. All MOO.
 
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Is the helicopter still up? It dropped off Flightradar24 a little while ago.

Following along elsewhere has led me to believe that he would have been expected to walk east along Yankee Doodle, but he went west, according to phone pings. You'll know this - traveling west on YD from Coachman looks a lot different from traveling east on YD from Coachman - it doesn't take long going east before you run into shopping plazas, restaurants, etc. while going west, things are clearly more spread out, less well-lit, etc. All MOO.
Good point about east and west.
Yes another helicopter is up in the same spot.
 
Since he is a college student and was leaving a party..I wonder if Bryce was intoxicated at all? That could certainly impair judgment on getting through to the water that one might not attempt if sober.

Men are drawn to the water too, so they can “relieve” themself. Sober or intoxicated and as a result, far too many lost their lives due to it. Moo
 
As an Aussie and unfamiliar with the possible case(s) I’m about to mention - this isn’t anywhere near the area where college men were going missing some years ago and being found in water/a river nearby or something similar? I cannot think of names or the area. Can anyone refresh my memory? Sorry if I’m being way too off topic - just genuinely curious.
I am familiar with what you are talking about... there have been several male college students found in the river in MN. All around the college areas... U of M and U of M St. Cloud are the ones I remember. I am from MN and remember everyone talking about these cases when I was hanging out in these areas. People were nervous for sure! There was rumors that there was a smiling face written in the snow near where the bodies were found. Not sure of the validity of that, though. I think it is more of a relation to alcohol, winter and water combination.
 
What is being overlooked, imo, is the small bodies of water that are everywhere. Anything from small marshy areas to bigger lakes. Many of which are roadside. My friend lived off of Yankee Doodle and there was a marshy swamp type area between his home and Yankee Doodle. There was a small dock going out for people to walk or fish from.
 
OCT 31, 2022

Eagan Police searching for missing 23-year-old​

  • Chief: "We know he was in the area of Hwy 13 and Yankee Doodle Road."
  • Pings from Bryce's cell phone helped point investigators from that area down toward the Minnesota River.
  • But Bryce's friends say his phone died Sunday before he could be found.
  • The Chief won't say exactly what police think happened to Bryce except they have a bit of information that they're keeping quiet out of respect for his family.
  • Chief: "We don't suspect there's any foul play at this time."
@HM99, I'm guessing to establish direction of travel.
 
Since he is a college student and was leaving a party..I wonder if Bryce was intoxicated at all? That could certainly impair judgment on getting through to the water that one might not attempt if sober.

Men are drawn to the water too, so they can “relieve” themself. Sober or intoxicated and as a result, far too many lost their lives due to it. Moo

I've never understood this. Drunk or sober, if I had to relieve myself I'd just go behind a tree or a bush. I don't understand why it HAS to be the water.
 
I've never understood this. Drunk or sober, if I had to relieve myself I'd just go behind a tree or a bush. I don't understand why it HAS to be the water.
There was a case similar to this in November 2014 in Philadelphia (the earlier threads are locked):
 

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