According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, on August 19th, 2019 at 2:52 PM, they received reports of two overdue canoeists on Leech Lake near a resort in the area of Pine Point. Cass County Sheriff Tom Burch reports that deputies responded and learned that an adult female, age 56 of Monticello, MN, and adult male son, age 28 of Minneapolis, MN, left a resort via canoe at approximately 8:30 AM and did not return.

Deputies and resort staff immediately began searching Leech Lake. At approximately 7:15 PM, a canoe was located on the north shore of Leech Lake near Hardwood Point, and a short time later both parties were located onshore in a very remote wooded area by a Minnesota State Patrol Helicopter.

The two had been canoeing and had capsized and floated in the water with the canoe for several hours, eventually ending up on shore. The two were transported back to the resort and treated by North Ambulance on scene.

Sheriff Burch credits the safe outcome to the use of life jackets by both canoeists and several agencies working together on the search, including the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota State Patrol Flight Section, Leech Lake Tribal Police, Leech Lake Department of Resource Management, along with several individuals and Anderson’s Resort staff.

By — Chaz Mootz