The search for Paul Brandt, 82, Grand Marais, is over. Searchers who determinedly continued searching for the man who went missing while berry picking on Thursday, August 1 discovered his body today. Nor’Wester Lodge & Outfitters posted the sad news on its facebook page at about 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 11.
The search began at 9:40 p.m. on August 1. Assisting in the search efforts were personnel from search and rescue teams from Cook, Lake and St. Louis counties as well as Central Lakes Search & Rescue in Minnesota and Sawyer County Search & Rescue of Wisconsin; Minnesota State Patrol; Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; U.S. Forest Service; U.S. Border Patrol; and the Gunflint, Hovland, Colvill, Maple Hill, Lutsen, and Grand Marais fire departments. Numerous civilians assisted in the search as well.
When official ground search efforts were suspended on August 6, volunteers continued the search, something that Cook County Law Enforcement endorsed. Cook County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Leif Lunde explained that the ground search had been suspended because “all reasonable locations have been searched without success.”
Lunde said the Cook County Sheriff’s Office planned to continue patrol and aircraft efforts and encouraged volunteers who wanted to continue the search to do so. Brandt’s family and community members gathered at Nor’Wester Lodge, where Brandt lived, each morning at 9 a.m. to scour the area where Brandt was known to go berry picking and where his vehicle had been found.
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