Late on the evening of July 16th, the Burnett County Sheriff’s Department received a report of a possible heart attack victim who was stranded on the river. Rangers responded along with units of the Wisconsin and Minnesota Departments of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Highway Patrol’s Aviation Division, and Grantsburg Fire and Rescue. The initial effort focused on finding the victim, who was tubing on the river in a remote area of the park. A highway patrol helicopter located him and dropped off a paramedic while ranger Jon Williams and a conservation officer used jet boats to transfer rescuers to his location. Due to low water, both boats became stuck several times before reaching the victim near midnight. The extrication from the area was further complicated by the victim’s weight (525 pounds). The helicopter could not be used for a long-line extrication and the jet boats proved of limited use due to the low water combined with the victim’s weight. The original report of a heart attack proved to be erroneous, but the man had an ankle injury that impeded his rescue. A local resident provided an air boat, but that also proved inadequate to overcome the rescue complications. Eventually, three canoes were lashed together with backboards placed on top for the victim to rest upon while rescuers walked the improvised flotation device three miles downriver for the next six hours to a take-out point. At the conclusion, the very thankful victim was found to have suffered only minor injuries and was treated for dehydration. The rescue involved 40 rescuers from six different agencies and a ten-hour effort.
