A personal locator beacon sounded at about 9:20 a.m. on Sunday, June 17, notifying emergency responders that someone was in trouble. The call came from a kayaker on Lake Superior, in the vicinity of Pigeon Bay near Grand Portage. The kayaker, Robert Weitzel, 57, of Middleton, Wisconsin, was located by the Canadian Coast Guard at approximately 11:30 a.m.
According to Cook County Sheriff Mark Falk, when the emergency call went out, it was not clear if the person in distress was in Canadian or U.S. waters. U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Kyle Niemi said both agencies responded. U.S. Coast Guard personnel from the Grand Marais North Superior Station were dispatched, however, the Canadian Coast Guard located the kayaker’s body before they reached the Grand Portage area.
Niemi said the Canadian Coast Guard Cutter Chiallom was in the area and launched a search along with a C130 airplane. The plane located the kayak— and Weitzel’s body about 200 feet away— at approximately 11:30 a.m. The Chiallom transported the body to Thunder Bay, Ontario. Ontario Province Police said the cause of death was drowning.
Weather reports show winds gusting up to 30 mph on Sunday. Weitzel was wearing a life jacket.
Weitzel, a guidance counselor at the Glacier Creek Middle School, had embarked on a solo kayak trip around Lake Superior to raise $5,000 for a program for urban at-risk teens called “Big City Mountaineers,” a nonprofit organization that offers mentoring and outdoor adventure for inner city youths. On his website www.soloingsuperiorinsideout.com, Weitzel explained that the money raised would be enough to send 15 teens on a life-changing wilderness trip.
Leave a Reply