Man Survives Night On Pelican Lake In Capsized Boat

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A man survived a night in Pelican Lake near Breezy Point, Minn., after his boat capsized while he was fishing.

The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office said a woman reported her husband, Daniel Larson, missing around 1 a.m. Tuesday after he didn't return home. She said he left to go fishing around 8 p.m. Monday.

Police started immediately searching the shoreline for Larson, 68, of Merrifield, Minn.

The Sheriff's Boat and Water Division eventually found him around 5:17 a.m. standing in water near the Halverson Bay public access.

Larson, who went out in a 14-foot fishing boat with a nine-horsepower motor said the boat capsized around 9 p.m. and he had been in the water ever since.

He told police that he was wearing a life jacket and was able to stay with the capsized boat most of the night. He had only just reached the shoreline before police found him.

Larson was brought to the hospital to be checked out.

Later Tuesday, more wind and choppy waters had avid fisherman avoiding the same bay where Larson was rescued.

"That's amazing actually, hypothermia sets in and you lose function," said fisherman Joshua Rach, of Pine River. "Last night might have been a little worse with the storms and stuff rolling in. Even when it gets windy we put our jackets on too, it's one of those things you want to go ahead and see your children."

Rach and his fishing buddy say the water where Larson was found was about 64 degrees Tuesday evening.

Larson is listed in good condition at St. Joseph Medical Center in Brainerd.

Experts warn that the temperature on lakes can drop even during spring and summer months, especially at night. The Farmer's Almanac says that the temperature of the air or water does not have to be below freezing for hypothermia to happen and it has been known to set in after too much time in the water.