Missing BWCA canoer body found near Curtain Falls
Gov. Walz has authorized the Minnesota National Guard to help search for two canoers that have been missing in the BWCA for nearly a week now. (FOX 9)
IRON LAKE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The body of one of the missing canoeists was found near Curtain Falls in the Boundry Water Canoe Area (BWCA) on Friday, after two weeks of searching.
According to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, the body of Jesse Haugen, 41, of Cambridge, was found near Curtain Falls in the BWCA, which is where the canoeist originally went missing from.
Haugen's body was found during search operations near the falls, where multiple law enforcement agencies have been searching for the two missing canoeists, authorities said. The second missing canoeist, Reis Grams, 40, of Lino Lakes, has not been found.
READ MORE: Wife of missing BWCA canoeist holding onto hope after boating mishap
According to law enforcement, search efforts will continue for Grams into next week with flights in and out of the area being unavailable until Monday.
Weather and water conditions are a factor in the search, especially with more rain expected this weekend, law enforcement said. As search efforts continue, authorities will have several people on the ground searching, using zodiac boats, canoes, drones and K-9. They will also be utilizing flight operations for the search for the last missing canoeist.
Three other men who were part of the group have already been rescued. Kyle Sellers, 47, of Ham Lake was rushed to a hospital for treatment. Erik Grams, 43, of Ham Lake and Jared Lohse, 33, of Cambridge were also flown out of the wilderness area.
On May 18, 911 calls came in for a water emergency around 7:21 p.m. after two canoes went over Curtain Falls.
Curtains Falls flows from Crooked Lake into Iron Lake, which is along the U.S.-Canada border, and is a very remote part of the BWCA.