What started as a nighttime pontoon outing on Lake Pepin ended in tragedy over the weekend, as three people remained missing Sunday and a massive search shifted into recovery mode near Deer Island.
Authorities said a pontoon boat overturned late Saturday night on the Wisconsin side of the lake, just off the YMCA’s Deer Island camp. First responders pulled three survivors from the water after finding them clinging to the capsized craft, while three other passengers who had been on board could not be found. Emergency crews kept a heavy presence on the shoreline and water well into Sunday morning.
Press release details
In a joint statement from the Wabasha County and Pepin County sheriff’s offices, officials outlined the basic timeline: the Pepin County 911 center received a distress call around 10:45 p.m. Saturday, and responding officers located an overturned pontoon close to the camp, KTTC reports. The three people pulled from the water told responders there had been three additional occupants who were still unaccounted for.
Massive multi-agency response
The emergency response quickly grew into a large, tightly coordinated operation involving agencies from both Minnesota and Wisconsin. Rescue boats, drones, helicopters, and specialized teams fanned out across the water, according to CBS Minnesota. Crews ran grid patterns and used sonar equipment through the morning as they searched the broad Mississippi River section where Lake Pepin widens.
Rescue becomes recovery
By Sunday afternoon, hope for a live rescue had faded. Authorities announced the mission had formally transitioned from search and rescue to a recovery effort, a shift noted by FOX 9 Minneapolis–St. Paul. Officials have not yet released the names of the missing individuals or the survivors, and they have not publicly said what might have caused the pontoon to overturn.
Summer boating hazards
The Lake Pepin emergency comes during a grim season on regional waters. Earlier this month, a capsizing on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin left three children dead, UPI reports. In the wake of recent incidents, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has urged boaters to wear life jackets, avoid alcohol and pay close attention to weather warnings during busy holiday weekends. The agency’s safety guidance stresses that life jackets only help if they are actually worn, according to the Minnesota DNR.
Authorities have asked the public to stay away from the Deer Island area while operations continue, and neither sheriff’s office is seeking volunteer help at this time, KTTC reports. Officials said more information will be released after families are notified and investigators complete their initial work at the scene.
