At approximately 3:03 p.m. on Tuesday, December 23, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a person was in Lake Superior near Bluefin Bay Resort in Tofte. A 66-year-old man who attempted to pull the person to safety was pulled into the lake by a large wave and is still missing.
The first person in the water was pulled from the lake and transported by Cook County Ambulance to North Shore Hospital. Although CPR had been started by rescuers, the 40-year-old man was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The U.S. Coast Guard is currently attempting to recover the missing man with a crew from Duluth.
Also assisting in the operation are the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Cook County Search & Rescue, Cook County Ambulance, Tofte Rescue Squad, the Tofte, Lutsen, and Grand Marais fire departments, and the Minnesota State Patrol. The Canadian Coast Guard is currently searching the area with a C-130 plane.
Attempts were made to bring in U.S. Coast Guard and Minnesota State Patrol helicopters, but due to icing conditions, they were unable to fly.
Waves were reported to be between 4-6 feet in the area at the time of the incident.
Names of the parties involved are being withheld pending notification of family members.
Leave a Reply