The St. Paul Fire Department’s Rescue Squad took to the air Monday afternoon to help find two boaters lost on a remote island at Leech Lake.
The two campers, one about 20-years old and one about 50-years old, had gone canoeing Monday morning. After they’d been gone for about eight hours without reporting back, the resort where they were staying called authorities, said St. Paul Deputy Fire Chief Dave Berger.
Members of @StPaulFireDept Rescue Squad 3 had a MART deployment to Leech Lake today at approximately 5 PM. The team assisted in helping find two campers that had been missing for over 8 hours. @MnDPS_DPS pic.twitter.com/PwmAPkYIwi
— Saint Paul Fire Dept (@StPaulFireDept) August 20, 2019
Sheriff’s office personnel searched for the pair by boat but couldn’t find them and called for a MART deployment, which stands for Minnesota Air Rescue Team. The MART team is comprised of members of the St. Paul Fire Department’s Rescue Squad 3 and state patrol helicopter pilots.
The helicopter left Holman Field in St. Paul about 5 p.m. and the rescue team spotted the pair on a remote island on Leech Lake about 7 p.m. The pair were screaming for help. They’d become lost on the island.
The rescue team members hung from the helicopter and helped guide the two back to their boats, Berger said.
