Air rescue on Basswood Lake

[DDSBYDAY]

  A group of Boy Scouts got in a little trouble on Basswood lake during a storm.


     http://www.startribune.com/local/263030341.html

[DDSBYDAY]

   Here is the video   

[Lee Borgersen]

Basswood Lake has a lot of memories for me mostly good, but some not so good. I was up on Basswood in 1999 when the big downburst (straight line winds) hit. Winds of 115 to 125 mph and it tore up everything. I was lucky and made it to shore on time. That was the most scary time of my life.

 I've helped out a couple of canoe folks out that were in distress. The husband couldn't paddle because of a Rappala hooked in his hand. Luckily I had a cutters on board and cut off his hand.   Just kidding but we cut it out and bandaged him up.

 I took a scout and his leader (paddlers) across prairie portage and through 3 lakes to safety after he dove off some rocks and needed stiches to close a bad gash.

Then there was the time when Borgie and I crossed the portage up to Basswood on a very windy day. As we were fighting our way up the lake against the whitecaps Borgie said "I see someone waving a red cap way up by the Canadian line." I said "I don't see anyone" "Yep she said I'm sure". So, we turned the boat north towards the Canada line with the wind hitting us from the west as we got drenched.

Sure enough we saw a canoe in distress. As we got closer we saw that two canoes were lashed together like a catamaran with one being mostly under water and the folks hanging on in the water. The one mostly under water had a small outboard on it. We managed to get a lady aboard and her husband said I'll just stay hung on in the water. The folks in the other canoe were ok but, were helpless and couldn't move with the other canoe lashed to it half sunk along with the motor on it.

I threw them a tow line and said I'll try to tow you to the U.S. shore. The wind and waves were so bad that I couldn't turn without swamping the other canoe also. We had to reach a small island on the Canadian side because it wound up to be our only option. Mother nature was fighting us every inch of the way. We made it to the small island safely although they lost half of their gear.

I said I can transport you all back to the prairie portage and they said they would be alright. I stated that we are at your service for the day just let us know what we can do. They humbly stated that they would be ok after they dry out and thanked us for the rescue. I had to ask where they were from being a tourist area and they were embarrassed to admit that they were from Ely. They never should have challenged mother nature on that day.

As for myself I've been towed in back to the Prairie Portage with motor problems and in return I've towed others with the same dilemma. We all have to watch out for each other when in the wilderness areas. It gets real lonesome when your in a jam with no one around.

[DDSBYDAY]

   Those are great stories Lee.  Thanks for sharing them.  I hope this years trip is uneventful except for the fishing. 

[snow1]

This is why we go to the BWCA...After all if it was'nt for adventure,what fun would it be?The young lads need to learn how to adapt and over come and not woos out~

[Lee Borgersen]

            Rescuers are to be thanked, but there’s a cost for every response.

  the rest of the story............
http://www.elyecho.com/articles/2014/06/22/rescuers-are-be-thanked-there%E2%80%99s-cost-every-response