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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Listening Point - General Discussion :: Body Reported at Curtain Falls
 
Author Message Text
scottiebaldwin
05/10/2025 10:56PM
 
So sad. Be careful out there my friends.
 
Pinetree
05/10/2025 09:29PM
 
so sad.so many people lose their life at that location.
 
Pinetree
05/12/2025 08:12AM
 
BWCA individual I.D.

ELY — The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office on Sunday identified a canoeist found dead in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness as Robert Sydney James, 62, of St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

According to a news release from the sheriff's office, U.S. Forest Service employees reported the location of a capsized canoe on Iron Lake north of Ely in the BWCAW at approximately 2:17 p.m. Saturday.

Prayers to all concerned and family.




 
plmn
05/13/2025 05:11PM
 
That seems like such a terrible spot for a portage, why don't they move it? Or at least make the other one an official mapped route?
 
HangLoose
05/13/2025 09:05PM
 
plmn: "That seems like such a terrible spot for a portage, why don't they move it? Or at least make the other one an official mapped route?"


The longer route which begins in that little bay on Iron Lake is mapped on Mckenzie in addition to the shorter route that begins in the swift current. It's just a matter of choosing the route that fits your skill level and/or conditions and water levels



 
eagle98mn
05/12/2025 11:42AM
 
jwartman59: "There is a very deceptive current right before the portage on the iron lake side. Many canoes have swamped here. Deadly in this cold water"


Can you expand on this? I'm heading that way in the fall and planned to cross the portage from Iron to Crooked. My understanding is that on the Iron side, there is a landing in the bay on the south side away from the main current channel. I had planned to just take that and play it safe. Am I understanding that option correctly as a way to mitigate the risk in this area?


I feel so bad for the family of this person and pray for the family/friends left behind.
 
eagle98mn
05/12/2025 01:13PM
 
Tomcat: "Yes you can avoid the turbulent water by taking the longer portage extension.


This thread address the portage extension around Curtain Falls. "



Thank you for confirming Tomcat, and the link.


I don't want to hijack the thread anymore than this. Again, my condolences to the family and friends of this person. Be safe all.
 
TonyK
05/12/2025 11:36AM
 
Hey Ben.. would you mind calling me about that particular area? I'm writing about this fatality for the outdoors pages of the Minnesota Star Tribune: 612-590-5973,
Tony Kennedy. Thanks!

 
AdamXChicago
05/19/2025 05:47PM
 
Pinetree: "so sad.so many people lose their life at that location.". I’ve noticed that too. Beautiful location hides a deadly secret.
 
nctry
05/11/2025 09:56PM
 
I feel lucky Old Bud was there when I flipped there in 2012 about the same time of year. Had he not helped me to shore I’d have been the same way. I too was wearing a life vest… but the current pushed me out and I couldn’t swim and when he got me to shore I couldn’t stand right away… bumabu… thank you brother!!!
 
OneMatch
05/10/2025 07:04PM
 
Darn. Ice out is only a few days old and it has already begun.
 
chessie
05/10/2025 07:04PM
 
Some FB posts, but nothing informative. Yet.
 
DanMN
05/10/2025 09:05PM
 
sad news
 
brux
05/10/2025 06:57PM
 
Not much detail.

The article is updated. Was a soloist and was wearing a PFD.
 
HangLoose
05/12/2025 07:32PM
 
My sincerest condolences to the friends and family of this man. I hope it comforts the victim's friends and family in some small way that he died doing what he loved in one of the most beautiful places in the wilderness.
 
Frenchy19
05/11/2025 10:08AM
 
Sobering and humbling. Thoughts and prayers to all involved.
 
Mocha
05/11/2025 10:23AM
 
Fox9 news, twin cities, had a report this morning and showed a map that included the Iron Lake off the gunflint trail, where the campground is located. Their report was of a solo canoeist, gear and no life jacket.


Where do people get their news?!
 
jwartman59
05/11/2025 12:41PM
 
Mocha: "Fox9 news, twin cities, had a report this morning and showed a map that included the Iron Lake off the gunflint trail, where the campground is located. Their report was of a solo canoeist, gear and no life jacket.
Where do people get their news?!"



WDIO Duluth reports that st Louis county responded to this event. There is a very deceptive current right before the portage on the iron lake side. Many canoes have swamped here. Deadly in this cold water
 
Frenchy19
05/11/2025 01:41PM
 
Mocha: "Fox9 news, twin cities, had a report this morning and showed a map that included the Iron Lake off the gunflint trail, where the campground is located. Their report was of a solo canoeist, gear and no life jacket.



Where do people get their news?!"



Star Tribune reported the guy was found in the BW with a pdf. Fox News? Nope.
 
BWPaddler
05/11/2025 06:58PM
 
Mocha: "Fox9 news, twin cities, had a report this morning and showed a map that included the Iron Lake off the gunflint trail, where the campground is located. Their report was of a solo canoeist, gear and no life jacket.



Where do people get their news?!"



Omg, say nothing if you can't get the facts
straight. Or say you don't know.
 
OgimaaBines
05/12/2025 03:25PM
 
Very sad. Thank you for posting.
 
A1t2o
05/13/2025 08:20AM
 
TonyK: "Hey Ben.. would you mind calling me about that particular area? I'm writing about this fatality... (deleted the rest)
"



Can we get a Mod to take this down? It's disrespectful.


Thoughts and prayers to all involved.
 
SummerSkin
05/13/2025 02:57PM
 
You can kind of see the current in this old YouTube video (timestamped):


Curtain Falls portage current


The first time we went through there, we dug in hard but did not make it. The eddy spun us around and we stopped paddling and let it push us back out.


The next canoe in our group did the same but didn't stop fighting which led to them being dumped.
 
CoachWalleye74
05/13/2025 11:19AM
 
Eagle98mn and anyone going from Iron to Crooked...Take the "longer" route for the portage in the bay to the south. Not much longer but much-much-much safer. Countless times over the years I've gathered up gear-canoes-people that have tried to push through the Curtain Falls current to the landing in question, while fishing in the flow water away from the landing. People lose gear, scare everyone involved, put those that help in danger...just not worth it. Yes, I've made it through a number of time and saw others make it as well, but the risk isn't worth the reward.
 
jamotrade
05/13/2025 04:21PM
 
Nice video. Easy to see how someone could get into a bad spot.
 
Banksiana
05/13/2025 12:39PM
 
Just before the portage landing there is a swath of relatively swift current adjacent to an eddy flowing towards the landing. Where the eddy and the current meet there is an innocuous looking fold in the water, a "horsetail" just a few inches high. If you get your boat on top of that horsetail it becomes very unstable while being subjected to flows in two different directions. Really easy to turn over as you try and respond to novel forces.
 
straighthairedcurly
05/17/2025 09:18PM
 
eagle98mn: "jwartman59: "There is a very deceptive current right before the portage on the iron lake side. Many canoes have swamped here. Deadly in this cold water"



Can you expand on this? I'm heading that way in the fall and planned to cross the portage from Iron to Crooked. My understanding is that on the Iron side, there is a landing in the bay on the south side away from the main current channel. I had planned to just take that and play it safe. Am I understanding that option correctly as a way to mitigate the risk in this area?



I feel so bad for the family of this person and pray for the family/friends left behind."



Yes, there is an easy to find portage landing in the bay. That is always what I take when solo, no mater the time of year.
 
Tomcat
05/12/2025 12:54PM
 

 
timatkn
05/10/2025 08:58PM
 
Terrible news


T
 
Moonpath
05/10/2025 07:28PM
 
Sorry to hear this. Its unfortunate but every year people run into major mishaps. Best to the persons family for this tragic loss.
 
Pinetree
05/10/2025 09:32PM
 
2024-one year ago in May
 
Pinetree
05/10/2025 10:47PM
 
USFS finds canoeist body-very sad



ELY — A canoeist was found dead by U.S. Forest Service employees in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on Saturday.

According to a news release from the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, USFS employees reported the location of a capsized canoe on Iron Lake north of Ely in the BWCAW at approximately 2:17 p.m.



After investigating the scene further, the USFS employees found a deceased individual wearing a life jacket, and their gear floating near the canoe.

The body was removed from the area via seaplane.