Body of Man Flying Ultralight Found in Lake Superior
A piece of his clothing found on shore helped searchers focus their efforts
Denny Pechacek (Photo courtesy Abbey Johnson)
Hovland, Minnesota- Authorities say they have found and recovered the body of a man missing since last Friday.
The Cook County Sheriff’s office says the body of Denny Pechacek was recovered from Lake Superior off the shore of Hovland, MN.
Many people and groups had been searching for him since he and the ultralight aircraft he was flying disappeared.
People were searching on land, by air, and on the water.
“This is not the outcome that we wanted, and our thoughts and prayers go to Denny’s family and friends,” said Sheriff Pat Eliasen. “We are so very fortunate that we live in a community where people will drop what they’re doing and rally to assist those in need,” Eliasen said.
Courtesy Abbey Johnson
The Cook County Sheriff’s office received information early this morning that a helmet had washed up on the beach in the area of 3568 East Hwy 61.
The helmet was confirmed to be that of Pechacek, and the search then concentrated on the water and on the beach areas.
Tom Crossmon of Crossmon Consulting used a side-scan sonar unit and was able to locate the body after about three hours.
His body was recovered and the family was notified.
The body will be transported to Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office and no further details are available at this time.
Agencies involved included Cook County Search and Rescue, Hovland Fire Department, Colvill Fire Department, U.S. Air Force Search and Rescue, Civil Air Patrol, Customs and Border Protection U.S. Border Patrol, Federal Aviation Administration, Lake County Rescue, Minnesota State Patrol, Northstar Search and Rescue, U.S. Coast Guard, the St. Louis County Rescue Squad, and many civilian volunteers.
