Seagull Lake Scares
All of the talk about Alpine Lake must have left Seagull Lake feeling ignored. She decided to swamp a canoe on Wednesday and a helicopter spotted the two people from the air. A fire crew in a boat assisted the swamped canoers and brought them safely to shore. Later that evening someone reported two different paddlers missing. A group of women went out on a day trip early in the morning only to find themselves in rain and wind on Seagull Lake. The cold rain, combined with wind, was causing one woman to act hypothermic. In an effort to get the woman to safety quickly, the group separated. One canoe did not return to the Trail’s End Campground where they were staying. By nightfall the women still had not returned and were not equipped to spend the night in the woods without a tent or sleeping bag. We organized a search group and scanned the lake by moonlight until 1:30 AM armed with spotlights but were unable to find them. The next morning an official Search and Rescue Crew was put together but before groups could head out, the women were found paddling in. They spent the night underneath their tent and used their maps as blankets. They were looked at by the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department EMT’s and were safely returned to their camp. The portages between Seagull and Alpine have been opened up as well as some campsites.