ST PAUL, Minn. — A Twin Cities company that specializes in removing weeds and invasive plants from lakes has been fined $730,000 after an employee drowned in May while using scuba equipment on the job.
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Standards (DLI) OSHA compliance arm says the fine against Columbia Heights-based Your Lake Aquatic Plant Management, LLC is for violating the state's commercial diving standards. The case involves the death of Joe Anderson, who drowned in May while removing weeds from Lac Lavon Lake in Apple Valley.
Anderson's family said in a social media post that he was using scuba equipment and it was his first dive ever. At the time of the investigation, the Dakota County Sheriff's Department said it was not able to verify the extent of Anderson's training, including whether he was a certified diver.
After a thorough investigation, DLI issued findings in November 2024 that supported five willful violations of Minnesota's commercial diving standard, including:
- Employees did not have the experience or training necessary to perform work safely
- Employees were not trained in CPR and first aid
- An employee was not designated to be in charge of all aspects of the diving operation
- A safe-practices manual had not been developed or maintained
- A standby diver was not available while diving operations took place
"Every person should be able to go to work and come home safely. This was a tragic and preventable loss," said DLI Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach. "It's the responsibility of all employers to follow health and safety laws and keep their employers safe at work."
DLI noted in a news release that the process of aquatic weed removal includes hazards that make employees vulnerable, including physical exertion from pulling, hauling and carrying weeds and bundles; highly variable water conditions, including fluctuating temperatures, visibility, depths and currents; and exposures to adjacent structures and equipment, including docks, dams and boat traffic, plus marine life and vegetation.
Your Lake Aquatic Plant Management has filed a notice contesting the findings and the $730,000 fine.
The death at Lac Lavon Lake is the second fatal diving-related incident in recent years. Brady Aune of Elko New Market was just 20 years old when he drowned while removing weeds from Lake Minnetonka in June 2022.