Boat capsizes, 3 children pulled from lake

Emergency crews pulled three young children from a northern Minnesota lake after the sailboat they riding capsized.

Clearwater County Sheriff Mike Erickson tells The Pioneer of Bemidji the children were unresponsive when rescuers pulled them from Clearwater Lake northwest of Bemidji and began CPR.

A caller reported around 3:15 p.m. Friday that a father and three children, ages 2, 6, and 8 years old were in the boat when it capsized. The father then swam to shore and summoned help.

Two children were taken by ambulance to a Bemidji hospital. The other was taken to Bagley then airlifted to a Fargo, N.D., hospital. Their conditions were not immediately available.

Authorities have been cautioning Minnesota boaters about the dangers of cold water shock and hypothermia on newly thawed lakes.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.