Authorities recover body and identify 18-year-old missing canoeist on Gillis Lake

A body recovered from Gillis Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) on June 23 has been identified as that of a missing 18-year-old canoeist. 

On Friday, June 23, the body of Lester Jay Hochstetler, of Clear Lake, Wisconsin, was recovered from Gillis Lake, where he had been canoeing with three other men on the evening of June 21 when the canoe capsized. One of the individuals swam to shore, and Hochstetler, who was not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD), did not resurface.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office 911 dispatch originally received a call about the missing 18-year-old at 6:44 p.m. on June 21. Cook County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Cook County Search & Rescue, Gunflint Fire Department, United States Forest Service (USFS) law enforcement, and a Forest Service Beaver float plane responded to the staging area at Tuscarora Lodge to begin search and rescue operations.

“Our hearts are with the survivors and the deceased’s family,” said Sheriff Pat Eliasen. “I also commend all of our emergency services who responded to this incident with swift action and professionalism.”

Assisting the Cook County Sheriff’s Office with the search and rescue and recovery efforts were Cook County Search and Rescue, St. Louis County Search and Rescue, USFS, and Gunflint First Responders.

Kalli Hawkins June 26, 2023