Updated: Man And Child Dead After Kayak Incident On Hart Lake

*Updated to reflect family members saying the 4-year-old child was wearing a life jacket. The press release from the Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office says the child was not found with a life jacket on. Lakeland News requested an on-camera interview with Sheriff Cory Aukes regarding the incident but Aukes denied the request.

A man and a child are dead as the result of a Kayak incident on Hart Lake. It happened Saturday May 19^th at 1:26 in the afternoon. The Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office received a call of two kayakers on Hart Lake who had overturned in their kayak and had not come to the water’s surface. Responding agencies located a kayak upside down and no immediate sign of the two victims.

After initiating a search, emergency units on the water located the 4-year-old victim in the water and began CPR. The child was transported by Cass Lake Ambulance and then North Memorial Air Care to the U of M Hospital in Minneapolis. The child’s condition was listed as critical.

A search continued for 42-year-old Jesse Anderson of Northwood, IA who was the father of the 4-year-old child. Search efforts included the use of a helicopter, boats, and also underwater divers without any results. Searching was suspended for the overnight hours on Saturday due to weather conditions and darkness. It resumed at 7 in the morning the next day. At 10:53 in the morning, the body of Jesse Anderson was recovered from Hart Lake in 6 feet of water. At 10:45 that same night, the Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office received notification that the 4-year-old victim had died as a result of his injuries after being taken off of life support.

The Hubbard County Sheriff’s Department said in a press release that neither victim was found to be wearing a life jacket. Family members tell Lakeland News that that the 4-year-old child was wearing a life jacket.

Agencies that assisted the Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office in the incident include the Beltrami Co. Sheriffs Office, Bemidji Ambulance, Cass Co. Sheriff’s Office, Cass Lake Ambulance, Lake Port 1st Response, Lake Port Fire Dept., Lakes Area Dive Team, MN DNR, MN State Patrol, North Memorial AirCare, Pike Bay Police Dept.