Pengilly Man’s Body Found in Water

Empty boat found with man's dog inside.

On Monday, the body of a Pengilly man was found in the water, when it was noticed that a boat with no one in it was circling on the lake.

In a press release, the Itasca County Sheriff’s office said it got a 9-1-1 call just before 10 a.m. that an empty boat was circling on the north side of Swan Lake. The person calling said they had seen the boat trolling earlier that morning with a man and his dog in the boat.

Responding deputies could see that a dog was in the boat, but the man was not.

Authorities learned that the boat belonged to 52-year-old James Kleffman of Pengilly.

Itasca County Deputies and the Search and Rescue & Dive Team searched the water where witnesses said they had last seen Kleffman still in the boat. His body was found shortly after 7:30 that night, in 38 feet of water.

Itasca County Sheriff’s Office was also assisted by the Minnesota DNR, Greenway Fire and Nashwauk Ambulance.