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   Sheriff Bryan Welk reports that on June 11th, 2026, at 12:47 PM the Cass County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a resort on the south side of Steamboat Lake in Wilkinson Township, rural Cass Lake, MN reporting individuals in the water and unaccounted for.

   Deputies arrived at the resort within 3 minutes of the time of call and learned that an adult female arrived at the resort, exhausted from swimming, reporting that 2 other female victims were in the water and a boat had gotten away from them in the wind. Resort guests immediately went with the female in a boat in search of the other victims in the water. Around the same time, a fisherman on the lake noticed an unoccupied boat floating and generally heading toward the south and east side of the lake in the heavy winds. The fisherman and resort guests began to search the area and eventually located two female victims in the water and were able to rescue them and get them safely into their boats and transport them to shore.

   At the shore, Deputies assisted the victims out of the boats and immediately rendered first aid. It was learned that the three were boating and decided to swim, leaving the boat and going into the water without anchoring the boat and the boat began to drift and got away from them. No life jackets were used, and they were struggling to stay afloat in the conditions. All three victims, female age 23, 25 and 28 of Minneapolis, MN were treated on scene, by Leech Lake Ambulance, for minor injuries including exhaustion and water intake and then were released.

   Sheriff Welk credits the successful outcome of this dangerous situation to the quick actions of resort guests and the fisherman on the lake, who responded immediately to assist the victims. Their swift and safe efforts helped bring the victims aboard their boats and ensured they were rescued without further incident. The conditions at the time of the rescue were windy with gusts of 25-30 mph and water temperatures at 72 degrees.

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