Intoxicated Male Pronounced Dead After Beach Incident

The Wadena County Sheriff’s Office received a report on July 31st of an intoxicated male refusing to leave Menahga City Beach on Spirit Lake. The caller then stated the individual was fully clothed in the water.

An Officer from the Menahga Police Department arrived on scene and met with lifeguards. The intoxicated individual was swimming out towards a raft, which was approximately 50 feet from shore.  The lifeguard shouted at the individual, asking them to come out of the water, but the request was ignored. The individual began submerging under the water and coming back up a couple times, before he went under a third time and never came back up. Lifeguards immediately swam to the location of the individual with their flotation devices and pulled the individual back above water.

Lifeguards preformed CPR, but the individual was unresponsive. The male was air lifted out to Essential Health in Fargo, ND, where later in the day, he was pronounced deceased.

The name of the individual is not being released at this time pending notification of family members.

The Menahga Police Department and Wadena County Sheriff’s Office was assisted on scene by the Menahga First Responders, Tri-County Ambulance and North Air Care.