Two rescued after raft drifts far from shore on Lake Superior

Park Point beach
The Park Point beach in Duluth is busy in this view from August 2017.
Dan Kraker | MPR News 2017

Two Duluth women were rescued Friday afternoon after their inflatable raft drifted about a half-mile from shore on Lake Superior.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office reported that authorities were called to Park Point in Duluth just before 2:30 p.m., on a report that two people were out on the lake on a raft and appeared to be unable to get back to shore.

Crews from the Duluth Fire Department and the Coast Guard made contact with the women and brought them to shore. The women reported they "had blown up an inflatable raft and were floating in Lake Superior near the beach. (They) were taken out further into the lake by the wind and currents," the sheriff's office reported.

Southwest winds were gusting to more than 20 mph at the time of the incident. The women, ages 18 and 19, were not injured.

The sheriff's office cautioned swimmers "to be alert to swimming conditions as they can change rapidly."

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