Searchers on Sunday recovered the body of a boater whose empty craft was found circling near Big Island on Lake Minnetonka the night before.
Sheriff's deputies recover body of missing boater on Lake Minnetonka
Empty craft was found circling near Big Island on Saturday.
September 19, 2018 at 4:46AM
It's the first boating fatality in Hennepin County in 2018, said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek. One death was reported in 2017 and two in 2015 and 2016.
A dive team recovered the man's body around 10:15 a.m., Stanek said. The identity of the man, who was about 40, has not been released.
The body was found about 150 yards from the north shore of Big Island, where the water is about 25 feet deep.
The investigation is ongoing.
A 911 caller alerted authorities to the empty boat about 6 p.m. Saturday, authorities said. Deputies found a 21-foot recreational boat operating with no one on board. Deputies secured the boat and began searching the area with sonar equipment.
Four patrol boats and five divers helped in the search and recovery.
Mara Klecker • 612-673-4440
The pilot was the only person inside the plane, and was not injured in the emergency landing, according to the State Patrol.
