Drownings

Anybody hear about the 2 hunters that drowned yesterday? I also heard there are 2 kids that are missing on Lake Winnebago. My prayers are with the families.

Tragic. Here’s the story from the StarTrib.

Two duck hunters die after boat overturns

Published November 14, 2003 (Jim Adams, Star Tribune)

Two duck hunters died after their boat overturned Thursday morning in the Spring Lake section of the Mississippi River north of Hastings.

Other hunters found the boat about 10:40 a.m., said the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office. Hunters found the body of Dennis Portz, 53, of Lake Elmo at about 11 a.m. along the south shore of the lake in Nininger Township. Authorities found the body of the other hunter, Dennis Evans, 49, of Hastings, at about 4:20 p.m., also along the south shore, said Chief Deputy Sheriff Dave Bellows.

One other duck hunter has died this season, on opening day, Oct. 27, in Cass County, said Tim Smalley, boating safety specialist for the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR). He said the state averages one or two duck hunter deaths a year.

Before Thursday, the state had 14 boating fatalities this year, compared with 29 in all of 2002, Smalley said. He said that the river temperature is in the low to mid-30s and that hypothermia sets in quickly. The DNR recommends that upset boaters get back on or in their boat and keep as much of their bodies out of the water as possible.

Tragic. Here’s the story from the StarTrib.

Two duck hunters die after boat overturns

Published November 14, 2003 (Jim Adams, Star Tribune)

Two duck hunters died after their boat overturned Thursday morning in the Spring Lake section of the Mississippi River north of Hastings.

Other hunters found the boat about 10:40 a.m., said the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office. Hunters found the body of Dennis Portz, 53, of Lake Elmo at about 11 a.m. along the south shore of the lake in Nininger Township. Authorities found the body of the other hunter, Dennis Evans, 49, of Hastings, at about 4:20 p.m., also along the south shore, said Chief Deputy Sheriff Dave Bellows.

One other duck hunter has died this season, on opening day, Oct. 27, in Cass County, said Tim Smalley, boating safety specialist for the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR). He said the state averages one or two duck hunter deaths a year.

Before Thursday, the state had 14 boating fatalities this year, compared with 29 in all of 2002, Smalley said. He said that the river temperature is in the low to mid-30s and that hypothermia sets in quickly. The DNR recommends that upset boaters get back on or in their boat and keep as much of their bodies out of the water as possible.

Here’s the story about the Lake Winnebago kids. Another tragedy.

Teens remain missing

Search efforts ended at dark
By Jim Collar
of The Northwestern (Oshkosh, WI)

Thursday’s sunset lowered hopes that two young, missing hunters would be found alive on Lake Winnebago.

Emergency crews suspended search efforts for two Oshkosh teen-agers on Lake Winnebago at dark Thursday evening.

The search was scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. today.

The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department opened a search Wednesday night after a parent alerted emergency dispatchers that the 16- and 14-year-old hadn’t returned from an after-school duck-hunting trip.

Sheriff’s officers, volunteers and other emergency workers returned to the lakeshore in the town of Black Wolf at 7 a.m. Thursday to resume a full search of the area by land, air and water. Authorities found their boat, but were unable to locate the teens.

Sgt. John Zimmerman of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department said both teens are presumed dead. Their names were not released Thursday.

“I hate to say this, but the chance for survival in these conditions are next to none,” he said.

Attitudes turned from hopeful to grim as the cold windy day wore on along the lakeshore.

Friends, family and volunteers consoled one another at the boat landing, and many waited for news from their cars in effort to stay warm from the cold temperatures and cutting winds. A sheriff’s department chaplain was on site for those in need.

Search efforts were exhaustive. Members of the Plymouth Congregational Church volunteered their time and combed the lakeshore in Black Wolf for the teens. Both teens attended the church, volunteer Scott Gavel said.

The U.S. Coast Guard provided one boat and one helicopter to aid in the search. The Civil Air Patrol and Wisconsin State Patrol also searched by air.

Winnebago County deputies maintained a command center and conducted boat searches both near Black Wolf and across the lake on the shore of Calumet County.

Emergency crews found little in the morning hours, but by afternoon were able to limit their search area.

Authorities found the teens’ jonboat overturned on the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago at 2 p.m. near Pipe in Fond du Lac County. Once winds and waves calmed, Winnebago County officers resumed their boat search along the path the teens’ boat would have taken.

Zimmerman said there would have been little hope of finding the teens after dark. Conditions limited the capabilities of crews throughout the day.

The U.S. Coast Guard in an afternoon statement said the high winds and icy conditions hampered efforts by both air and water.

Civil Air Patrol pilots said the mucky lake water and white caps limited their visibility into the water by air.

Sheriff’s officers reported waves of up to four feet crashing over their bow in places on the lake.

“It’s been a pretty wide-scale search,” he said. “If and when we start up tomorrow, I just don’t know.”

Here’s the story about the Lake Winnebago kids. Another tragedy.

Teens remain missing

Search efforts ended at dark
By Jim Collar
of The Northwestern (Oshkosh, WI)

Thursday’s sunset lowered hopes that two young, missing hunters would be found alive on Lake Winnebago.

Emergency crews suspended search efforts for two Oshkosh teen-agers on Lake Winnebago at dark Thursday evening.

The search was scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. today.

The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department opened a search Wednesday night after a parent alerted emergency dispatchers that the 16- and 14-year-old hadn’t returned from an after-school duck-hunting trip.

Sheriff’s officers, volunteers and other emergency workers returned to the lakeshore in the town of Black Wolf at 7 a.m. Thursday to resume a full search of the area by land, air and water. Authorities found their boat, but were unable to locate the teens.

Sgt. John Zimmerman of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department said both teens are presumed dead. Their names were not released Thursday.

“I hate to say this, but the chance for survival in these conditions are next to none,” he said.

Attitudes turned from hopeful to grim as the cold windy day wore on along the lakeshore.

Friends, family and volunteers consoled one another at the boat landing, and many waited for news from their cars in effort to stay warm from the cold temperatures and cutting winds. A sheriff’s department chaplain was on site for those in need.

Search efforts were exhaustive. Members of the Plymouth Congregational Church volunteered their time and combed the lakeshore in Black Wolf for the teens. Both teens attended the church, volunteer Scott Gavel said.

The U.S. Coast Guard provided one boat and one helicopter to aid in the search. The Civil Air Patrol and Wisconsin State Patrol also searched by air.

Winnebago County deputies maintained a command center and conducted boat searches both near Black Wolf and across the lake on the shore of Calumet County.

Emergency crews found little in the morning hours, but by afternoon were able to limit their search area.

Authorities found the teens’ jonboat overturned on the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago at 2 p.m. near Pipe in Fond du Lac County. Once winds and waves calmed, Winnebago County officers resumed their boat search along the path the teens’ boat would have taken.

Zimmerman said there would have been little hope of finding the teens after dark. Conditions limited the capabilities of crews throughout the day.

The U.S. Coast Guard in an afternoon statement said the high winds and icy conditions hampered efforts by both air and water.

Civil Air Patrol pilots said the mucky lake water and white caps limited their visibility into the water by air.

Sheriff’s officers reported waves of up to four feet crashing over their bow in places on the lake.

“It’s been a pretty wide-scale search,” he said. “If and when we start up tomorrow, I just don’t know.”

From KARE 11 website: http://www.kare11.com/news/news-article.asp?NEWS_ID=55049

Not one to “look” for controversy amidst tragedy……….but does the tale end of this story about the hunter shot 50 miles north of Two Harbors sound a little “too well accepted?” Either poor journalism or some VERY relaxed survivors of the deceased!

From KARE 11 website: http://www.kare11.com/news/news-article.asp?NEWS_ID=55049

Not one to “look” for controversy amidst tragedy……….but does the tale end of this story about the hunter shot 50 miles north of Two Harbors sound a little “too well accepted?” Either poor journalism or some VERY relaxed survivors of the deceased!

I quickly hit that story about the shooting. For the life of me, I can’t explain how someone says ‘I looked in my scope 2x, and thought it was a deer’. I just don’t get it….how can a human, even if he wasn’t legal with blaze orange, be confused with a deer?

I quickly hit that story about the shooting. For the life of me, I can’t explain how someone says ‘I looked in my scope 2x, and thought it was a deer’. I just don’t get it….how can a human, even if he wasn’t legal with blaze orange, be confused with a deer?

I knew both of these guy’s. Evens more than Portz but they were both VERY good hunters and knew the river very well. My sympathy goes out to the families and hope they can figure out what happened.

I knew both of these guy’s. Evens more than Portz but they were both VERY good hunters and knew the river very well. My sympathy goes out to the families and hope they can figure out what happened.