Ranger who died attempting Voyageurs National Park rescue, a ‘true public servant,’ is identified

DULUTH — Park ranger Kevin Grossheim, a “true public servant” who could’ve retired but hadn’t yet, died Sunday afternoon while attempting to rescue a Wisconsin family stranded on an island in Voyageurs National Park while 8-foot waves rolled across Namakan Lake.

The family — a man and his sons, one juvenile and one adult — got to shore safely, St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said Sunday. Grossheim didn’t surface after his Park Service boat capsized. His body was recovered after a three-hour search, according to the Park Service.

A longtime park ranger who moved to northern Minnesota more than 20 years ago, Grossheim was 55. At the scene of the rescue, stories emerged about the late ranger, including how he had quietly repaired a piece of broken playground equipment near his home without ever mentioning it publicly, Ramsay said.

“He was a true public servant,” Ramsay said. “He loved to help people.”

Kabetogama Fire Department Chief Brian Wichner provided volunteer emergency medical services alongside Grossheim. He wasn’t surprised to hear about the playground fix. Grossheim quietly did the same sorts of things around the fire department.

Grossheim transitioned from seasonal work to permanent park ranger first at Boston National Historical Park and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore before he ended up as a commissioned law enforcement ranger at Voyageurs National Park, according to the park service.

Grossheim was a Motorboat Operator Certification Court instructor and very familiar with the local lakes. He was also known to be meticulous about safety and was always on call.

“He loved it so much that he gave his own life saving three people,” Wichner said, describing Grossheim as part of his EMS family.

The Wisconsin family’s boat had been pushed ashore to an island on the lake at the Canadian border. Grossheim was able to retrieve them with a Park Service boat, but the boat took on water and tipped, and everyone onboard was thrown into the water. Grossheim was wearing a life jacket, according to Ramsay. The family was able to swim to the shore. They were transported to Crane Lake to meet with law enforcement, according to a St. Louis County news release.