Search teams locate body of one of two missing canoeists at Boundary Waters

The body of one of two canoeists missing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for nearly two weeks was found Friday.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office said the body of Jesse Haugen, 41, of Cambridge, was found by search teams working near Curtain Falls along the Canadian border.

The search will continue for Reis Grams, 40, of Lino Lakes.

The two men were among four canoeists who crossed Curtain Falls, which drops 30 feet between Crooked and Iron Lakes in the wilderness about 20 miles north of Ely, on May 18. Another man was seriously injured.

Members of the Sheriff's Office and the St. Louis County Rescue Team faced difficult conditions during the search.

“Until now, our biggest enemy out there has been the weather and Mother Nature. Due to the volume of water in the area of ​​the falls, the temperatures and the time of year, the search situation was very difficult,” said Nate Skelton, division commander for the St. County Sheriff’s Office. . Louis.

The sheriff's office said flights to and from the scene would not be available until Monday. So the crew at Curtain Falls on Friday will continue to search for Grams throughout the weekend.

The sheriff's office said they used boats, canoes, drones and K-9 teams.

Last week, a Minnesota National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter helped transport equipment, including a boat, to the remote search location.