DULUTH, Minn. — Editors note: The video above originally aired in October of 2019.
An angler is dead after falling from a boat into Trout Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) Monday.
The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call regarding a water emergency on Trout Lake, but poor cell phone reception delayed the reporting of what had occurred. Dispatchers were finally able to learn that a 51-year-old man from Morrison County had fallen from a fishing boat into the water and had been under the surface for two to three minutes.
Sheriff's officials say the angler's companions and nearby fishermen in other boats were eventually able to find the man, pull him from the water and get to shore, where CPR was performed until first responders were able to reach the area.
Despite efforts to save him the angler did not survive.
Investigators talked to the victim's fishing companions and learned he had been in the bow of the boat fishing from a pedestal seat. His friends said they suddenly heard a splash, and saw that he had fallen into Trout Lake and was immediately submerged.
He was not wearing a life jacket.
St. Louis County County Sheriff's officials remind boaters that while air temperatures are warming up, water temperatures remain quite cold, especially in the northern part of the state. They say a personal floatation device, or life jacket is critical to surviving water-related accidents during this time of year.