An Inver Grove Heights woman called Cook County Law Enforcement at 6:50 p.m. on Sunday, May 8 reporting that her husband, 73-year-old Joseph Ambrose, was overdue from his solo canoe trip down the Temperance River.
The woman told the Sheriff ’s Office that her husband had completed the canoe trip before and it had only taken about 3½ hours—he had been on the river for six hours. Ambrose started his trek downriver at the 600 Road in Tofte.
Cook County Search and Rescue was paged at 7:12 p.m. and the first Search and Rescue member arrived at the location on Temperance River Road where Ambrose was to meet his wife at 6:33 p.m. Personnel from the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Forest Service Fire and Minnesota State Patrol also responded and took part in the search for the missing man. Personnel checked trails along the river and at 8 p.m., a Search and Rescue all-terrain vehicle was deployed.
A Minnesota State Patrol helicopter was requested at 8:37 p.m. to conduct an aerial search of the area. Before the helicopter reached the area, Ambrose was found and the helicopter was cancelled.
At 9:02 p.m., a Cook County deputy located the man sitting on a guard rail near the lookout on the Temperance River Road. Ambrose told the deputy that he wrapped his canoe around a rock south of the river section that has five-foot waterfalls. Ambrose dragged the battered canoe, along with all his gear and stashed it in the woods on the west side of the river. He hiked 4 – 5 miles through the woods and up the river bluff to Temperance River Road where he was found. Ambrose was wet but he said he was not cold. He had no apparent injuries and did not need medical treatment.
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