LA POINTE, Wis. - A father and three young children are dead, and a mother is recovering, after their kayak capsized near the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior, according to KARE's sister station KBJR in Duluth.
The family was paddling from Madeline Island near Michigan Island and Stockton Island when the kayak they were in overturned. Authorities were notified about what happened by a family member, who received a text message from the mother, the only survivor.
The children's ages range between three and nine years old. It's likely their deaths involved hypothermia, as all were wearing life jackets.
The Ashland County Sheriff's Office identified the surviving mother as 29-year-old Cari Mews. The sheriff's office also identified her deceased husband as 39-year-old Erik Fryman. The family was from Loyal, Wisc., a town in the central portion of the state, the sheriff's office said.
Joe Walters, the captain of the U.S. Geological Survey Research Vessel Kiyi that assisted in search efforts, said his crew rescued Mews from the water around 10:07 p.m. She had been in the water for about six hours, Walters said.
"We put a ladder over the side, and she was able to pull herself up a little bit until one of our crewmen just grabbed her, picked her up and brought her on board," Walters said.
According to Walters, Mews told the crew that water had swamped her family's kayak.
Over the next several hours, they would all learn that the rest of the family did not survive.
"It just turned out unfortunate," Walters said. "It's heartbreaking."
Coast Guard spokesperson Lt. Daniel Peters says the family was on vacation, staying in a rented cabin on Madeline Island.
Authorities say around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, a distress text message was sent from the mother to her sister, which read "911", however due to poor service, the message wasn't received until four hours later, around 8:30 Thursday night.
A full search ensued immediately after that was reported to police.
The waves on Lake Superior were between 3 and 4 feet, according to the Coast Guard.
The mother was found in water that was only about 60 degrees around 10 p.m. on the west side of Michigan Island.
The father, as well as two of the children, were found dead in the water just after midnight.
A crew of more than 50 people from about a half-dozen agencies searched a 24-square mile area for the third child, all while battling a thunderstorm, as well as visibility of less than 100 yards at times.
The third child was found dead around 10 a.m. Friday morning in the water.
"Ensuring you have the proper safety equipment on board is a good step to ensure that you'll have your safety. But even with all the required safety equipment and all the right training, anything can happen when you get out on the lake," said Justin Sickler of the Bayfield Coast Guard.
Authorities tell us everyone in the kayak were wearing life jackets, and vacationed here often.
They also tell us the kayak used by the family was what they call a "sit-on-top" kayak, and is un-recoverable.
The Coast Guard also says cell phone service is very poor in this area, and if anyone is going out on the lake to not rely on a cell phone.
Instead use 2-way radio, or short-wave radio tuned to channel 16, which can communicate directly with emergency services.
Names of the victims are being withheld as the investigation continues and family is notified.