Officials: Crews Search Medicine Lake For Missing Man

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Authorities are searching Medicine Lake for a missing Twin Cities man Saturday. They are looking for 31-year-old Paul Myklebust of St. Louis Park.

According to the Hennepin County Sheriff's office, Myklebust was at a party on Medicine Lake.

He and another person decided to go kayaking some time after 2 a.m. Saturday, but the two ran into trouble.

"Clearly, the kayak overturned and the other male was able to make it to shore," Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said.

Myklebust never returned to the party but his friends didn't realize his absence until later that morning. They went searching for him along the shoreline.

By then a boater reported an overturned kayak.

When help arrived, authorities also found a jacket in the water.

As law enforcement started a search of the shoreline they found Myklebust's friends who said he was missing.

"We started putting the pieces of the puzzle together which is leading us to search the lake, shoreline and surrounding areas," Stanek said.

Search crews concentrated on the western side of the lake, not far from where the boater spotted the kayak. By air, they searched the shoreline and marshy areas. On the water, they used sonar equipment.

"It's a fairly small lake but it's never easy to search a lake. You've got the weeds, you've got the depth," Stanek said.

While this search proved challenging, it was more difficult for the Myklebust family, who could only wait by the water's edge.

Stanek said there was alcohol at the party, but they aren't sure if Myklebust was drinking.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Hennepin County Sheriff's Communications at 763-525-6215.