05/27/2026 08:05PM
abbitt, Minn — Conservation Officer Anthony Bermel raced against time and weather to rescue three canoeists stranded in the Boundary Waters last week.
Bermel, who is stationed in Babbitt, responded to the call May 15. The same day, the region was battling high winds as multiple wildfires erupted across northeastern Minnesota.
“The call came in through Lake County up in the Boundary Waters there at Basswood Lake, the far west end in Jack Fish Bay of Basswood Lake,” Bermel said. “Three guys who were on a trip, in a single canoe, ended up getting caught in the wind and capsizing.”
According to information provided to emergency dispatchers, the three men were wearing life jackets and were only able to grab one gear bag as the canoe capsized. Inside was food, water, and a cellphone sealed in a waterproof bag, which they used to contact emergency services.
Bermel said the group was fortunate to have the phone. The rest of their gear, along with the canoe, was lost. The men swam to a nearby island after the incident.
Water temperatures in northern Minnesota remain in the 40s this time of year. Fortunately, the college students were members of a swim team. Once they reached shore, however, they had no extra clothes, no way to start a fire, and no way off the island. They were also without shoes.
“Hypothermia, once they were out of the water and got dried out, was not an immediate risk or issue,” Bermel said. “But they didn’t have any gear to be able to spend the night, and of course, the nights are still cooling down pretty good.”
Bermel overheard the dispatch and said many emergency responders already were dealing with fires in Two Harbors, Gilbert, and Babbitt. A tree had also fallen on a power line near Burntside Lake. The U.S. Forest Service was notified but did not have the personnel available to respond.
Bermel decided to attempt the rescue, believing he might be the only available resource capable of reaching the stranded canoeists.
He grabbed a 16-foot Alaskan boat equipped with a 75-horsepower motor. Although motorized boats are generally prohibited in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Bermel said the situation qualified as an emergency response.
Before heading out, Bermel packed camping gear in case conditions worsened and informed his supervisor.
“With what I had for resources and equipment, what I did, I would say, was by far the best option and really the only good option,” Bermel said.
Reaching the students was not easy. Bermel faced a roughly 30-mile trip one way through multiple lakes and portages. Although he has worked in the Boundary Waters for 14 years, he said he had never navigated the area via motorized boat.
Hidden obstacles and rough water added to the challenge as white caps reached nearly 3 feet.
Bermel said the men were not in immediate danger, but it was important to reach them before nightfall. While they had made it safely to shore, they lacked warm clothes, sleeping bags, tents, or firestarters.
The three students were about 19 years old. One had previously visited the Boundary Waters twice, while the trip was the first experience for the others.
When Bermel arrived, he said the group was in good spirits and relieved to see the rescue boat approaching. Because of worsening weather conditions and fading daylight, the group could not search for the missing gear and left quickly.
The rescue operation covered about 60 miles round trip and took roughly 3-1?2 hours.
After returning safely to shore, Bermel notified emergency services. He later drove one of the students to retrieve a vehicle so the group could stay locally that night.
The gear left behind was eventually recovered the morning of May 20.
Bermel credited his training and years of experience in the Boundary Waters for the successful rescue. It also was not the first time he had responded to an emergency in the area, having conducted a similar rescue in 2013.
Though the students escaped safely despite losing most of their gear, Bermel said the outcome could have been much worse. He said the group believed their life jackets ultimately saved their lives given the cold water.
Bermel recommends anyone traveling into the Boundary Waters or other remote waters be properly prepared before heading out.
“These three things are going to save your life,” Bermel said. “If you’re wearing your life jacket, you got waterproof matches, and you have a communication device in something waterproof, those three things would be the most critical.”
Though the rescue ended safely, Bermel said the situation highlights the importance of preparation and carrying the proper equipment when traveling into remote wilderness areas.
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