Canoer dies in Aitkin County after capsizing in Wolf Lake

MCGREGOR, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man from St. Paul is dead after drowning when a canoe capsized in Aitkin County over the weekend.

What we know

On Aug. 24, around 9 p.m., the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office received a call from within Savanna Portage State Park to report a possible drowning. The caller stated that he and his cousin had gone out on Wolf Lake in a canoe, when it capsized, sending both of them into the water, authorities say.

Both attempted to swim to shore, when one began to struggle, went under and did not resurface.

Victim found

Multiple agencies conducted a search, and came across Htoo Shwe, 20, of St. Paul at the bottom of the lake. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Neither were wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident, and authorities believe alcohol may have been a factor.

Cause of death

The Ramsey County Medical Examiner has confirmed the cause of death as a freshwater drowning.