BWCA Ranger fatality during rescue Boundary Waters Listening Point - General Discussion
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* BWCA is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
   Listening Point - General Discussion
      Ranger fatality during rescue     
 Forum Sponsor

Author

Text

10/06/2024 11:19PM  
Ranger was rescuing a family on Namakan Lake Link
 
      Print Top Bottom Previous Next
adam
Moderator
distinguished member(3180)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/07/2024 06:49AM  

It sounds like the Ranger was towing the Voyageur National Park visitors boat back to shore along with the family when his boat capsized. 6 foot rollers would be crazy conditions unless you boat is made for such.

My thoughts for the ranger's family and friends.
 
10/07/2024 08:40AM  
VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK — A park ranger died Sunday while responding to a call from a distressed civilian boat on Namakan Lake in St. Louis County.

While towing the civilian vessel late Sunday morning, the National Park Service law enforcement ranger's boat capsized, read a press release from Voyageurs National Park. High winds and rough water were reported.


The three people being assisted fell into the water and swam to safety, but the ranger couldn't be found.

The ranger's body was recovered from the lake at approximately 3:20 p.m. after a three-hour search. The press release said the ranger's name is being withheld until all notifications are made.

The incident is under investigation.

The U.S. Border Patrol, St. Louis County Sheriff's Office and Kabetogama Fire Department assisted in the search and recovery.

also read
 
10/07/2024 08:56AM  
More information from MNCrimes.com: Thoughts and prayers for all the families involved.

'While towing a distressed civilian boat, the ranger’s NPS boat capsized, forcing the ranger and three people into the water.

The still-unidentified ranger was assisting the civilians—a father and his two sons—late Sunday morning at the far-northern Minnesota park, close to the Canadian border, when the incident occurred. Their boat had flipped and been pushed ashore on a small island by high winds in the area.

The three civilians managed to swim to safety, but the ranger did not resurface and remained unaccounted for.

A search effort involving the United States Border Patrol, the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office and the Kabetogama Fire Department was launched and after approximately three hours, the ranger’s body was recovered from Namakan Lake at around 3:20 p.m.

Officials say high winds and rough waters contributed to the incident. The male ranger’s identity has not yet been released, pending notification of family. The incident remains under investigation and NPS did not immediately disclose if the civilians were wearing personal flotation devices.

The Minnesota Star Tribune reports the ranger had years of experience and was close to retirement. He is expected to be identified Monday.

”He was just all about helping others and that’s what he died doing was helping others,” St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said. “He had a servant’s heart by all accounts.”"
 
10/07/2024 10:43AM  
This is just so sad.
 
10/07/2024 11:06AM  
Remember these Rangers be it Voyageurs or the BWCA, like us, enjoy the outdoors. That is why they went into this field. To protect the resource and make our experience better.
Prayers to all involved.
 
Savage Voyageur
distinguished member(14519)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished membermaster membermaster member
  
10/07/2024 02:48PM  
Very sad news indeed. He gave his life to safe others.
 
10/07/2024 05:28PM  
Very sad news, I consider this person to be a hero. Losing ones life to help another person is the highest sacrifice we can give. Hopefully that gives some solace to the family.

T
 
Findian
distinguished member (135)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/07/2024 06:55PM  
National Park Service law enforcement ranger Kevin Grossheim, 55, of Kabetogama, died when his boat capsized, according to a news release from Voyageurs National Park. After taking a family of three aboard his National Park Service boat, the vessel overturned amid high winds and rough waters.

The three people being assisted fell into the water and swam to safety, but the ranger couldn't be found.

Grossheim's body was recovered from the lake at approximately 3:20 p.m. after a three-hour search.

The incident is under investigation.

“Kevin was much loved by all and always known to go above and beyond,” said Voyageurs National Park Superintendent Bob DeGross. “He will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to his wife and their loved ones.”

Grossheim served at Voyageurs National Park for 23 years and volunteered with the Kabetogama Fire Department. He was a motorboat operator certification course instructor and experienced with navigating the lakes of the park, according to the National Park service.

The U.S. Border Patrol, St. Louis County Sheriff's Office and Kabetogama Fire Department assisted in the search and recovery.

Just before the report of the missing park ranger, rescue resources were being coordinated at 11:03 a.m. for a capsized canoe on Big Shell Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a press release from the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office said.
 
scottiebaldwin
distinguished member (316)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/08/2024 06:59AM  
This is sad, very sad. I hate to be the one to ask but I will anyway… Do we know if he was wearing his PFD? I can’t imagine that he didn’t have it on. Other than super cold water, I just cannot imagine a scenario in which someone doesn’t survive when they have their PFD on.
 
Minnesotian
distinguished member(2493)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/08/2024 07:53AM  
scottiebaldwin: "This is sad, very sad. I hate to be the one to ask but I will anyway… Do we know if he was wearing his PFD? I can’t imagine that he didn’t have it on. Other than super cold water, I just cannot imagine a scenario in which someone doesn’t survive when they have their PFD on. "


Yes. From the article on the Timberjay: "Ramsay said that Grossheim was wearing a self-inflating life jacket, which was supposed to inflate upon contact with water."

https://www.timberjay.com/stories/vnp-ranger-dies-during-lake-rescue-attempt,22091
 
10/08/2024 09:14AM  
Minnesotian: "
scottiebaldwin: "This is sad, very sad. I hate to be the one to ask but I will anyway… Do we know if he was wearing his PFD? I can’t imagine that he didn’t have it on. Other than super cold water, I just cannot imagine a scenario in which someone doesn’t survive when they have their PFD on. "



Yes. From the article on the Timberjay: "Ramsay said that Grossheim was wearing a self-inflating life jacket, which was supposed to inflate upon contact with water."


https://www.timberjay.com/stories/vnp-ranger-dies-during-lake-rescue-attempt,22091 "


Fully clothed and equipped in rough water, if that failed it would have been very difficult to overcome.

What a sad situation.
 
10/09/2024 06:29PM  
St Louis County Rescue Squad
October 7 at 10:05?PM ·
Friends, yesterday we ran two major operations Up North, one a capsized father and son in the BWCA, and another on Namakan in Voyageurs National Park. On the latter call, a VNP Ranger attempting to perform a rescue suffered a capsizing and did not survive. We'll refrain from posting details here--it's VNP's story to tell through releases to local media. Suffice it to say we are devastated...when one in the Emergency Services family dies, a piece of us all is lost forever. We offer our prayers to Kevin's family and ask you to do the same. They and the entire park staff have a tough road to navigate, and we pray they find peace and strength in the difficult days ahead.
Namakan is beautiful, and it's still beautiful when it's angry, but also incredibly dangerous when northwest gales push the fetch down the big open water. Tonight's Brett Schelde photo (callsign 7319) captures LA-21, with "Big Red" leading the way ahead, during one of the calmer moments yesterday on Namakan. Be safe out there, eh?
 
10/09/2024 07:34PM  
Mocha: "This is just so sad."

It's tragic. I understand the gut-level desire to push the panic button - but perhaps when conditions are that dire and one is generally safe on shore - one might wait a bit to expect a rescue

I don't know. It's a hard call.

I was out with my daughter last week and we moved from Ogish to Seagull on Saturday because we knew conditions were getting worse. Paddling was tough with southerly winds across the beam and we ended up pulling into a campsite on Seagull by 1pm. We stayed that night and paddled out on Sunday morning after winds had increased in intensity but changed to northwesterly which allowed us to paddle in the lee of the NW shoreline of Seagull most of the way back to the exit point. Ironically, it was some of the easiest paddling we had all trip.

I've b een thinking about that ranger's selflessness and sacrifice the past three days.

 
10/09/2024 08:57PM  
Very very sad.

I don't know how those kind of PFDs work. Is it presumed to have malfunctioned then? Horrible.

Yes, agree the family or all of them could just wait a period of hours probably... So many people affected by that decision.
 
Argo
distinguished member(843)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/10/2024 07:24AM  
Being stranded does not sound like a life and death situation requiring a rescue. Lots of unknowns still so the benefit of the doubt remains. But perhaps this is an event that should lead to policy decisions regarding these situations.

I'm sure a lot of us have contemplated the idea we could become stranded by weather conditions. Anyone embarking on these sorts of adventures should be at least mildly prepared for such an occurrence. How many of you would resort to calling for rescue? Seems way at the bottom of the list in my opinion.
 
10/10/2024 08:24AM  
Argo: "Being stranded does not sound like a life and death situation requiring a rescue. Lots of unknowns still so the benefit of the doubt remains. But perhaps this is an event that should lead to policy decisions regarding these situations.


I'm sure a lot of us have contemplated the idea we could become stranded by weather conditions. Anyone embarking on these sorts of adventures should be at least mildly prepared for such an occurrence. How many of you would resort to calling for rescue? Seems way at the bottom of the list in my opinion."


To clarify the original story, the family's boat was pushed up on shore by the wind and waves and they were not able to free it. It was not being towed back as reported earlier. They were going to need assistance one way or another and we don't who made the call as to when that needed to be or if there were any other factors involved, like a medical issue.
 
10/10/2024 09:41AM  
Argo: "Being stranded does not sound like a life and death situation requiring a rescue. Lots of unknowns still so the benefit of the doubt remains. But perhaps this is an event that should lead to policy decisions regarding these situations.


I'm sure a lot of us have contemplated the idea we could become stranded by weather conditions. Anyone embarking on these sorts of adventures should be at least mildly prepared for such an occurrence. How many of you would resort to calling for rescue? Seems way at the bottom of the list in my opinion."

Often,I add one day to trips for being wind stranded.
 
cyclones30
distinguished member(4179)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
10/11/2024 09:42AM  
If he was towing the boat back in crazy winds that's a recipe for disaster. You'd think that's probably against their SOP but who knows? Save the people if that's the call but not worry about the capsized boat which now puts your own boat at major risk.

Sad day
 
10/11/2024 02:48PM  
cyclones30: "If he was towing the boat back in crazy winds that's a recipe for disaster. You'd think that's probably against their SOP but who knows? Save the people if that's the call but not worry about the capsized boat which now puts your own boat at major risk.
Sad day"


As plmn pointed out, they have clarified that the boat was not being towed, which I agree didn't make any sense with the situation. As far as I know there hasn't been any more information on the family outside that it was a Dad and his two sons and their boat had been pushed into shore and they couldn't get out. Could be they were still some distance from land hung up on rocks with no safe options to get to shore.
I keep thinking about that Dad and kids and how the ranger's death will effect them for the rest of their lives. Truly a Sad day.
 
10/12/2024 09:19AM  
A real person and hero he was

At the park
Grossheim was a member of the park’s “old guard,” those folks who’ve made working at VNP their life’s work, and according to park superintendent Bob DeGross, Grossheim was right where he belonged.
“His career was 28-years long with the National Park Service, and 23 years of that was here at Voyageurs,” DeGross said. “From my conversations with him, and of course, I can’t speak for him, but I think that’s because he found his place here. He truly loved Voyageurs.”
VNP Wildlife Biologist Steve Windels, another of the park’s old timers, reflected on Grossheim’s work.
“I’ve worked with Kevin since I got to Voyageurs in July 2003 – we are some of the last remnants of that era,” Windels said. “Kevin was always the guy who was there to help, always the guy who had his eyes and ears open to what was going on. Even though he was a little shy, I would describe him as a people person. He loved boat training every year. He enjoyed meeting people and more importantly wanted to make sure they had what they needed. The amazing thing about Kevin is that he never stopped putting other people first because that was his job, to make sure others were safe.”
He took a shine in particular to the park’s seasonal staff and volunteers, knowing they would need some of his knowledge of the park, and in particular the Namakan basin, knowledge that was as wide and deep as the waters he patrolled.
 
andym
distinguished member(5402)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
10/12/2024 11:18PM  
What a great tribute and such a huge loss.
 
andym
distinguished member(5402)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
10/12/2024 11:18PM  
Someone asked how these inflatable PFDs work. They work in a few ways. Many have an automatic trigger on the co2 cartridges that inflates the vest when submerged just a small amount. If that doesn’t work then there is also a cord to pull to inflate the vest. PFDs without the automatic trigger will have the pull cord. And there should also be a manual inflation tube to fill it up by mouth. So there should be multiple ways to inflate. But if the automatic trigger isn’t there or doesn’t work and you hit your head during while going overboard then it might well not get inflated. I’m confident that the Park Service will investigate what happened.
 
10/13/2024 09:32AM  
So sad, I was a firefighter for Voyageurs NP in 1994. We had a fire boat and I remember how big the waves would get with our boat. Some times we had it mostly airborne.
 
      Print Top Bottom Previous Next
Listening Point - General Discussion Sponsor:
Canoe Country