A man who left his home in Duluth on Sunday to go ice skating on a bay across the border in Wisconsin was found dead Monday evening, law enforcement said.
Retired Lutheran pastor, who left Duluth home to go ice skating, found dead after falling through ice
Gregory Richard Garmer intended to skate on the ice at Woodstock Bay in Superior.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
December 3, 2024 at 2:41AM
Gregory Richard Garmer left his home at 1 p.m. Sunday to go skating, however, he “did not return as scheduled,” according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities determined he fell through the ice. His body was found at about 4 p.m. Monday.
The office did not specify where Garmer was found, but deputies were originally sent to Woodstock Bay, where Garmer intended to skate on the frozen surface, said Sheriff Matt Izzard.
Garmer was a retired pastor at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Duluth, said Dianne Loufman, a pastor at First Lutheran Church in Duluth.
“We all know him ... and are deeply concerned,” Loufman told the Minnesota Star Tribune before Garmer was found. “He is a beloved community member and avid outdoors person — the first and last of the season to be out cross-country skiing.”
Loufman said Garmer also served as an interim pastor at her church and French River Lutheran Church in Duluth.
The driver was under the influence of several illicit drugs at the time, according to the criminal complaint.
