An evening of fishing on Pleasant Lake in Corinna Township, Wright County, ended in tragedy Monday when an 18-year-old man from Watkins drowned after falling out of a kayak. Rescue crews recovered the young man after witnesses spotted an overturned kayak near the public access and dock on the north side of the lake.
What authorities found
Wright County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched at about 8:18 p.m. and located the overturned kayak near the public access. Witnesses told deputies the kayaker had been fishing roughly 75 to 100 yards from the dock when he fell into the water, according to KSTP. A Wright County dive team later found the man in the water.
Victim identified and community fundraiser
Authorities identified the victim as 18-year-old Cameron Mertens of Watkins, as reported by FOX 9. A GoFundMe set up to help support Mertens’ father and siblings had raised $6,300 of a $15,000 goal from 58 donations, according to GoFundMe.
Safety context
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources urges paddlers to wear properly fitted, high-visibility life jackets, plan routes in advance and carry basic emergency gear such as a phone and first-aid kit, according to the Minnesota DNR. The agency’s annual watercraft summaries note that non-motorized craft such as canoes and kayaks are frequently involved in fatal incidents, and that in some cases victims had life jackets on board but were not wearing them at the time, per the statistics page from the Minnesota DNR statistics.
Next steps
Officials did not immediately release additional details about the circumstances or a cause of death, according to KSTP. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Wright County Sheriff’s Office.
