Man Dies, Teen Critically Injured In Separate Water Emergency Incidents

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 14-year-old boy is in the hospital in critical condition and a 58-year-old man is dead after two separate water emergency incidents that occurred in St. Louis County Tuesday.

According to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, the first incident occurred at the Greenwood Bay area of Lake Vermilion around 5:25 p.m. There, a man was seen struggling in the water trying to get on a jet ski. A nearby resident went over to the man in his boat and offered help, but the man declined help.

A short time later, the resident observed the man walking in the water towards the shore, so he decided to boat over and offer the man assistance again. As the resident approached the area, he found the man, who was wearing a life jacket, lying face down in the water.

The victim, identified as Darrell Pfannenstein of St. Joseph was taken to the shore and, despite lifesaving efforts, was pronounced dead. The incident is being investigated.

The second incident occurred at around 8:19 p.m. at Little Grand Lake near Sampo Beach. There, a 14-year-old boy was swimming with some other boys at a diving dock about 75 yards off shore when he went under water and never reemerged.

The other boys began yelling for help and bystanders from the shore and from boats dove in and began looking for the boy. He was located unresponsive at the bottom of the lake in approximately 12 to 15 feet of water. The victim, who is from Superior, Wisconsin, was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Authorities say swimmer inexperience was the cause of the incident.