Sheriff: Canoeist Found Dead While On Trip In BWCAW

The body of a canoeist was recovered Saturday afternoon from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

United State Forest Service employees located a capsized canoe around 2:20 p.m. Saturday on Iron Lake, which is just north of Ely.

“Upon investigating further, the USFS employees located a deceased individual and their gear floating near the canoe,” according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office.

It is believed that the individual was on a solo canoe trip into the BWCA, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The victim was wearing a life jacket. He was identified Sunday as Robert Sydney James, 62, or St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

The incident remains under investigation by St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office.