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Officials continue search for two missing persons after canoe goes over Curtain Falls, portion of BWCAW remain closed

May 20, 2024 10:44AM ● By Content Editor

Photo: Scott Rodgerson

By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - May 20, 2024


Officials continue to search for two missing canoeists on Iron Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). On May 18, St. Louis County Dispatch received a call around 7:30 pm with a report that two canoes (each carrying two people) had gone over Curtain Falls. One party was reported to have at least one person containing major injuries, and two people were reported as missing. 

Around 12:30 am on May 19, a DNR helicopter located one of the injured canoeists, and one uninjured canoeist, according to a press release issued by the St. Louis Co. Sheriff's Office. The injured canoeist was flown to a hospital in Duluth, where they listed as having serious but non-life-threatening injuries. 

Another person who was part of the group but not involved in the incident was located on May 19 by the St. Louis Co. Rescue Squad and flown out of the BWCAW. 

Earlier today, the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office released the names of those involved in the incident. 

The missing canoeists are Jesse Melvin Haugen, 41, from Cambridge, MN, and Reis Melvin Grams, 30, from Lino Lakes, MN.

The injured canoeist is Kyle Thomas Sellers, 47, from Ham Lake.

Erik Michael Grams, 43, from Ham Lake, is listed as an "involved canoeist", and Jared Jay Lohse, 33, from Cambridge as a "group member". 

The search continues today for Haugen and Grams. An emergency closure for a portion of the BWCAW was issued and went into effect from 12:01 am May 20, until 12:01 am on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, unless otherwise noted, for the public's safety while officials are conducting their search. 

 Image: USDA 


The closure includes "All trails, campsites, portages, rivers, and lakes that are within the closure area shown in Exhibit A, including but not limited to Iron Lake, including the LaCroix-Bottle portage and LaCroix-Iron portage, and Crooked Lake west of Sunday Bay." 

According to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Department, "Rapid water conditions are making for difficult searching conditions, however, crews on the group continue to push forward to continue the search area and expand it as needed." Drones and remote-operated vehicles (ROV) are being used to assist in the search. 

The search is being led by the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office and Rescue Squad, with help from, North Air Care, Virginia Fire, MN DNR, and the Minnesota Air Rescue Team (MART). 


This is a developing story. Stay tuned to Boreal Community Media for more updates.