Lake Pepin Search
Large-scale search ongoing for three missing boaters after pontoon overturns on Lake Pepin.
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Key Points
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Three survivors were located clinging to the overturned pontoon and they told emergency responders that three other occupants had been on the boat but could not be found.
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The overturned pontoon boat was found offshore from the YMCA Camp on Deer Island in Pepin County, on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River.
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Authorities have not confirmed the identities of the missing boaters as of Sunday morning.
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The incident occurred around 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, July 11.
Three people are missing after a pontoon boat overturned on Lake Pepin in Wisconsin late Saturday night, sparking a large-scale search and rescue operation that stretched into Sunday morning. CBS News reported that the Pepin County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call from someone reportedly screaming for help from the water around 10:45 p.m. on July 11.
First responders found three survivors clinging to the capsized boat. Those survivors told emergency crews that three other people had been on board — but could not be found. As of 10:30 a.m. Sunday, the search was still ongoing.
Pontoon Found Offshore from YMCA Camp on Deer Island
The overturned pontoon was discovered just offshore from the YMCA Camp on Deer Island, on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River, according to WEAU. Pepin County sits along Lake Pepin, a wide stretch of the Mississippi that forms the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Authorities have not confirmed the identities of the missing boaters. WQOW reported that no campers or camp staff were involved in the incident. Officials also said they were not asking the public for help at this time.
Multi-Agency Search Deploys Boats, Drones, and Helicopters
The search drew agencies from both Wisconsin and Minnesota. Rescue teams used boats, drones, and helicopters to cover the lake, according to Rolling Out. The scale of the response reflected the difficulty of searching a large, open body of water at night.
Fox 9 reported that the search was still active as of Sunday morning. No bodies had been recovered and no additional survivors had been found as authorities continued to scour the water.
911 Call Launched Emergency Response After Dark
The emergency began when someone called 911, reportedly screaming for help, according to CBS News. The call came in around 10:45 p.m. Saturday. Responders reached the scene and located the three survivors on the hull of the capsized boat.
The three survivors told rescuers that three others had been on the pontoon. That information launched the broader search effort. It is not yet clear what caused the boat to overturn or where the missing boaters may have ended up in the water.
Identities Unknown as Search Enters Sunday Morning
Pepin County officials had not released the names of the missing or the survivors as of Sunday morning, WEAU reported. The investigation into what caused the accident is also ongoing. Authorities gave no timeline for when the search might be called off.
Lake Pepin is a popular spot for boating and recreation in the upper Midwest. Night-time boating incidents on the lake are rare but serious, given its size and the strength of the Mississippi River current running through it.
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