Missouri man found dead in lake near Ely

DULUTH – A 54-year-old Missouri man discovered floating on the water on White Iron Lake was likely the victim of an accidental drowning, according to Lake County authorities.

Duane Kreuger, of St. Louis, was found midday Sunday next to an unoccupied boat that was banging on the rocks in the lake east of Ely, Minn., within the Superior National Forest. He was not wearing a lifejacket at the time.

According to authorities, the initial investigation did not indicate that an accident had occurred. The medical examiner’s preliminary ruling is accidental drowning, though it remains an active investigation. The U.S. Forest Service, DNR, U.S. Border Patrol and Morse-Fall Lake Fire Department also responded to the scene.