Canoe accident kills Ripley man

A 46-year-old man has died in a canoe accident in Morrison County's Ripley township.

Sheriff Michel Wetzel says Richard Allen Leblanc of Ripley township fell into the water when his canoe capsized on a private pond Saturday evening. Witnesses pulled him from the pond, but their efforts and those of paramedics couldn't revive him.

The sheriff says Leblanc apparently was not wearing a life jacket and couldn't swim.

An autopsy is planned.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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.