The Lake County Rescue Squad training with the U.S. Coast Guard. | LAKE COUNTY RESCUE SQUAD
Heroes of the North Shore The Dedicated Volunteers and Emergency Responders of Northeastern Minnesota By Kalli Hawkins Within the captivating and challenging wilderness of northeastern Minnesota, where outdoor recreation and secluded living within the Superior National Forest abound, a dedicated group of volunteers and emergency service officials stand ready to don their headlamps, lace up their boots, and grab their “Go Pack” at a moment’s notice to help a neighbor or individual in distress. Spanning from the Grand Portage Pigeon River Port of Entry on the Minnesota-Canadian border, eastward to Voyageurs National Park, and reaching southward to Duluth, the responsibilities of Cook, Lake, and St. Louis County law enforcement, emergency services, and fire departments in this region are as vast and diverse as the terrain itself. Even in the most challenging circumstances, their unwavering commitment and readiness to respond highlight the true sense of community and selflessness that characterize this remarkable northeast corner of Minnesota. Cook County is the second largest county in Minnesota by total area with 3,340 square miles, of which 1,880 is water, most of which comprises the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. As the snow fades from the Northland each spring, canoeists finalize BWCAW trips and prepare to venture into the remote and rugged landscape. Each year, search and rescue and various emergency management services (EMS) crews are dispatched into the nooks and crannies of the 16
NOVEMBER 2023
one-million-acre protected wilderness area to find or recover individuals. Earlier this summer, in June, law enforcement received a concerning call about a canoeist needing medical attention on Beth Lake, just southwest of Sawbill Lake in the BWCAW. North Shore Health and Cook County EMS crews were dispatched to Beth Lake at 5:58 a.m. and immediately made the hour-long drive to the end of the Sawbill Trail, then loaded into canoes to begin the traverse across Sawbill, Alton, and finally to Beth. The EMS crew made contact with the patient at 9:00 a.m. After assessing the patient and providing initial care, the EMS crew loaded the patient into the canoe and began the return trip. Not too far into the paddle, the patient started seizing. Fortunately, EMS crews remained calm and secured the patient to prevent capsizing. After 8 miles of paddling and portaging with the patient, the EMS crew returned to the ambulance, where they began the trek down the Sawbill Trail to connect with Life Link III at the Lutsen Fire Hall. The entire 911 call lasted seven hours. Karla Pankow, the ambulance director at North Shore Health who was one of the four responding EMS officials, said in a statement the next day after the adventurous ordeal, “We’re all feeling those muscles a little bit more today, but we did the best we could with what few resources we had yesterday and it truly made a difference in our patient’s life.”
NORTHERN WILDS
The St. Louis County Rescue Squad has played a pivotal role in numerous search and rescue operations in Lake and Cook County, making them an indispensable part of the life-saving network. | ST. LOUIS COUNTY RESCUE SQUAD “In EMT and medic school, they don’t teach us how to handle calls and rescues like yesterday’s event, but this crew tackled it head-on, and I’m so very proud,” she added.
Although that 911 call was unique in its way, fortunately, calls to that degree are not encountered consistently. But when they are, EMS responders do not hesitate to throw a canoe over their shoulders and
