Couple dead near canoe in BWCA ID'd
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Cook County sheriff's officials have identified two people found dead near their capsized canoe in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Authorities say the victims are a couple from Forest Lake -- 55-year-old Thomas Pineault and 51-year-old Cynthia Pineault.
The capsized canoe and the two bodies were found on Alton Lake by two other passing canoeists who reported their discovery to Sawbill Outfitters, the sheriff's office said.
The Cook County Sheriff's Office, Cook County Search and Rescue, State Patrol, U.S. Forest Service and Sawbill Outfitters all played a role in extracting the bodies from the wilderness.
Officials estimate the bodies were in the water for about 24 hours before being found. The sheriff's office said autopsies will be performed at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
The two were wearing life jackets when their bodies were found Sunday afternoon. Authorities reported unseasonably cool and windy weather for canoeists this week in the area.
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