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Minnesota News
MPR News Staff

Search teams locate body of one of two canoeists missing in Boundary Waters

A man searches near the base of a waterfall
A member of the St. Louis County Rescue Squad takes part in the search for two missing canoeists at Curtain Falls in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness earlier this week.
Courtesy of the St. Louis County Rescue Squad

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The body of one of two canoeists missing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for nearly two weeks was located on Friday.

The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office said the body of 41-year-old Jesse Haugen of Cambridge was found by search teams working near Curtain Falls, along the Canadian border.

The search will continue for 40-year-old Reis Grams of Lino Lakes.

The two men were among four canoeists who went over Curtain Falls, which drops 30 feet between Crooked and Iron Lakes in the wilderness about 20 miles north of Ely, on May 18. Another man was seriously injured.

Members of the sheriff’s office and the St. Louis County Rescue Squad have been battling challenging conditions in the search.

“Our biggest nemesis up there so far has been weather and Mother Nature. Because of the volume of water in the falls area and the temperatures and the time of year, it’s been a very difficult search situation,” said Nate Skelton, division commander with the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office said flights to and from the scene are not available until Monday — so the crew at Curtain Falls on Friday will continue searching for Grams through the weekend.

The sheriff’s office said they’ve been using boats, canoes, drones and K-9 teams.

Last week a Minnesota National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter helped transport equipment, including a boat, to the remote search scene.