DULUTH – One man drowned in Lake Superior Monday as his boat capsized, throwing all three on board into the water.
One dead as boat capsized in Lake Superior in Duluth
October 1, 2019 at 1:54PM
Donald James Sarter was operating the 21-foot boat when the engine was overcome with water and the boat flipped in the 2-to 4-foot high waves.
Sarter, 68, of Sturgeon Bay, Wis., was found washed ashore in shallow waters off the end of Park Point, near Sky Harbor Airport. Despite lifesaving efforts Sarter was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the St. Louis County Sherrif's office.
Two others on board, Donald Slater, 59, from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and Randall Corsten, 50, from New Franken, Wis., were able to swim to shore and called 911.
All three men worked for Roen Salvage of Sturgeon Bay. The company, a family-owned marine contractor founded in 1949, also owned the boat.
The emergency call went out around 11 a.m. Storms with heavy rains had passed through the area hours earlier. Winds were still gusting from 12-18 miles per hour at the time.
The vessel sank about 100 yards off shore, about 400 yards west of the Superior Entrance, according to U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Sean Murphy, who said a small craft advisory had been issued.
Pam Louwagie
about the writer
The proposal suggests removing the 20-year protection on the Superior National Forest that President Joe Biden’s administration had ordered in 2023.
