The Eagle Mountain hiking trail has proven especially treacherous this summer. A 29-year-old man died after collapsing on the trail in June and Cook County emergency responders were paged to the site twice this week to rescue hikers in distress.
The first call for help came at 2:48 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23. A 54-year-old female, Nancy Meinholz of Cross Plains, Wisconsin, hiking with three other people, had fallen three times on the trail and was unable to go any further. She was about two miles in on the trail, above and west of Whale Lake.
Grand Marais First Responders, Cook County Ambulance and Cook County Search and Rescue responded to the Eagle Mountain Trailhead and began the trek to reach Meinholz. Search and Rescue called the Grand Marais and Maple Hill fire departments for assistance. Because the windstorm the day before had dropped so many trees on the trail, U.S. Forest Service personnel also responded. Because Meinholz was within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness boundary, the 6-8 Forest Service responders used crosscut saws to clear the trees.
Responders reached Meinholz at 4:41 p.m. Carrying the woman out took until 9:34 p.m.
Meinholz was transported to Cook County North Shore Hospital and treated for a knee injury.
Emergency responders were paged to Eagle Mountain again on Saturday, July 26 at 3:45 p.m. to help a 63-yearold male who was injured and couldn’t walk. The 30-yearold man who made the emergency call said the man was 1.5 miles from the trailhead.
Cook County Search and Rescue, Grand Marais First Responders, the Grand Marais Fire Department, and Cook County Ambulance were paged. Three U.S. Forest Service personnel also assisted. The rescuers were in to the patient and back to the trailhead at 7:01 p.m.
The man, whose name is not available, was transported to Cook County North Shore Hospital.
Cook County Law Enforcement said the 3½-mile trail to the 2,301-foot peak of Eagle Mountain is very difficult because of the recent extreme weather.
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