BEMIDJI, Minn. (AP) — Emergency crews pulled three young children from a northern Minnesota lake after the sailboat they were riding in capsized on Friday, sheriff's officials said. Details about their conditions weren't immediately released.
The children were unresponsive when rescue workers pulled them from Clearwater Lake and began CPR, Clearwater County Sheriff Mike Erickson told The Pioneer of Bemidji (http://bit.ly/Ij1idh). Two of the children were taken by ambulance to a Bemidji hospital. The third was taken to Bagley then airlifted to a Fargo, N.D., hospital.
"It's not a very good day today," Erickson said.
A caller reported around 3:15 p.m. Friday that a father and three children, ages 2, 6, and 8, were in the boat when it capsized. The father then swam to shore and summoned help.
The father was treated at the scene, which is about 20 miles northwest of Bemidji.
"Physically, he's fine," Erickson said.
Authorities have been cautioning Minnesota boaters about the dangers of cold-water shock and hypothermia from a sudden dunk into the state's newly thawed lakes. Even though the air may feel warm, water temperatures may still be in the 40s or lower.
The Pioneer reported that the air temperature around the time of the incident was 59 degrees with southeast winds at 22 mph.
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Information from: Pioneer, http://www.bemidjipioneer.com
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
Comments (5)
Add commentHow tragic
"Two of the three children who went into a frigid lake near Bemidji Friday afternoon have died.
The oldest child, 8, has been airlifted to a Minneapolis hospital after emergency responders were able to revive him. The boy is in critical condition, according to Clearwater County Sheriff Mike Erickson.
The boy’s siblings, 6 and 2, couldn’t be revived after the small sailboat they were in capsized in Clearwater Lake, which straddles the border of Beltrami and Clearwater counties.
Each of the children were unresponsive when they were pulled from the water. The two oldest children were taken to Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, and the 8-year-old was airlifted to the Twin Cities.
The 6-year-old died at Sanford in Bemidji, while the 2-year-old was taken to Bagley, where he was treated for several hours before he died."
more details about this family and their community of 41 people.
http://www.startribune.com/local/146536735.html
This is really sad
It would have been nice to know if the children had lifejackets on. Considering how windy and cold it has been of late, one wonders what the father was thinking of; taking a sailboat on on newly iced out water? And why would anyone take a 2 year old, vest or not? Also why did the dad not try to help his kids before swimming to shore? Too many questions and yet the end result is the same.
all had life jackets on,
and they died of hypothermia. There is a long article in the Bemidji Pioneer.
"The children were in a small sailboat with their father, Dan Risland, when it toppled in strong winds. He reportedly told authorities that he attempted to get the children to shore, but struggled in the wind and current.
He then swam to shore and flagged down someone to call 911. Sheriff’s dispatchers from Beltrami and Clearwater counties received the call about 3:15 p.m., prompting dozens of first responders from at least eight agencies to scramble to the lake, which is eight miles north of Leonard and nearly 30 miles northwest of Bemidji.
Clearwater County Sheriff Mike Erickson said the first child was out of the water within 30 minutes of the call, but the father reported the children had been in the water 15 to 20 minutes prior to the 911call, WCCO TV reported.
Prayers
go out to all involved