A search is underway for two people who have reportedly gone missing after canoeing over the 30-foot Minnesota waterfall, Curtain Falls.
According to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, authorities were dispatched on Saturday, May 18, at approximately 7:21 p.m. with a reported water emergency on Iron Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA).
The caller reported two canoes had gone over Curtain falls during the incident. One of the parties was badly injured and two individuals were reported missing.
It was further reported that at approximately 12:30 a.m. on May 19, a Minnesota Department of Nature helicopter was used to extract one of the injured individuals and an uninjured person. The injured party was flown to Essenita Duluth. They had serious injuries but not life-threatening.
The search resumed hours later and was led by St. Louis County Rescue Squad. The authorities revealed that an individual, who was with the group. However, they were not involved in the incident. They were flown out of the wilderness near the Minnesota waterfall.
St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and Rescue Squad Continue Their Efforts Days After Minnesota Waterfall Mishap
The St. Louis County Rescue Squad is continuing to search for the two missing individuals. They have been identified as Jesse Melvin Haugen of Cambridge and Reis Melvin Grams of Lino Lakes.
The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed three other individuals recovered from the Minnesota waterfall mishap. They are Kyle Thomas Sellers, who was injured; Erik Michael Grams, who was just involved; and Jared Jay Lohse, a group member. Sellers and Grams are from Ham Lake and Lohse is from Cambridge.
The rescue squad shared an update on its Facebook account on Monday, May 20. “We are still in 24-hour operation,” the rescue squad wrote. “Members ran search sorties this evening until it was too dark to see, and are sleeping on the ground tonight in order to be up to run more sorties at first light.”
The squad also stated an Advanced Base Camp was established. It is being staffed all night to ‘keep an ear on’ those in the field. “Curtain Falls is extremely difficult to access,” the update continued. “And we are depending heavily on our aviation partners to transport equipment, supplies, and personnel in and out of the backcountry.”
The sheriff’s office confirmed that ROVs (remote-operated vehicles) and drones are being utilized in the search. However, rapid water conditions are making search efforts more difficult. “Crews on the group continue to push forward to continue the search area and expand it as needed.”
The office then added, “Updates will be provided as they become available as the search progresses. No further updates on extent of injuries to the rescued parties at this time.”