Back-to-back rescues in the BWCAW highlight teamwork of Ely area first responders

First responders and search and rescue crews near Ely, Minn., were called into action twice last week, responding to separate rescues in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The first incident occurred in the afternoon of Sept. 7 when law enforcement and first responders received a distress signal from a remote area of the BWCAW near the Stuart River portage, northwest of Ely.

The initial notification informed the Morse Fall Lake Fire Department and first responders that a 70-year-old Colorado man had possibly broken his leg after he slipped and fallen. The injured man was with a group camping in the BWCAW.

“Remote rescues within the Boundary Waters pose many challenges to us as rescuers,” said Anna Krueger, the fire department secretary. “Our department works very closely with the Ely Area Ambulance service as well as other agencies when these initial calls come in.”

After the local fire department and first responders assessed the severity of the medical emergency and the location of the incident, it was determined that the rescue required the assistance of the Minnesota Air Rescue Team (MART) to extract the injured Colorado man.

“The MART team is one of many resources we use,” Krueger said.

Krueger said in many instances, the U.S. Forest Service de Havilland Beaver floatplane is available to assist in rescue operations. However, when the plane is unavailable, local fire departments and first responders can request the assistance of MART.

She said there are also a variety of other elements that factor into how an injured individual is rescued. “Current weather conditions, high or low water, and available staff/resources can also affect our decision on how we will extricate the patient.”

MART specializes in rescue and extraction of individuals from remote locations that are not easily accessible by ground or water or “pose excessive risk to rescuers,” according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

After coordinating with local first responders and state agencies, MART was able to locate and extract the injured Colorado man. He was then flown to a Duluth hospital. In a Sept. 8 Facebook post, MART said, “Thankfully, the injuries are not life-threatening.”

MART works in partnership with numerous local agencies across Minnesota, including the Minnesota State Patrol. In the Facebook post, MART said, “Getting to someone in the BWCA isn’t easy.” The partnerships with the Minnesota State Patrol, St. Paul Fire Department, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office Rescue Squad, the Morse Township Fire Department, Ely Area Ambulance, and Life Link helicopter service are a “great reminder of the teamwork it takes to bring people to safety in Minnesota’s most remote areas.”

Video of the MART rescue operation on Sept. 7 is below:

A couple of days after the Colorado man was rescued, the Morse Fall Lake Fire Department and first responders responded to another rescue in the BWCAW on Ensign Lake.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office received the initial distress signal on Sept. 9 at approximately 1:52 p.m. First responders were notified of a canoer with a knee injury on Ensign Lake.

Krueger said in many of the initial distress signal notifications, “the information we have is often very vague.” First responders typically receive the 911 notification via a Garmin Inreach, an iPhone, or a Spot device with coordinates provided, but often, “very little patient information.”

First responders then assess the method and process of the rescue operation, available staff and resources, and determine how to proceed. “We then also try to find ways to get additional information about location and patient condition,” Krueger said.

The Morse Fall Lake Fire Department and first responders attempted to use MART, but due to weather conditions in the Twin Cities, the helicopter was not available.

Krueger said a decision was made to proceed with the rescue operation via boat and canoe rather than wait for weather conditions to improve in the Twin Cities. Krueger said the time of day also played a factor in the decision.

Members of the Morse Fall Lake Fire Department then met with Lake County Deputies and the Ely Area Ambulance to formulate a plan. A small group of first responders motored across Moose and New Found Lakes, portaged into Splash Lake, and then paddled to Ensign Lake, where they made contact with the injured party. Krueger said the individual with the knee injury was part of a group of canoers.

The injured individual was then transported by canoe to the ambulance. Krueger said that the rescue operation took approximately three hours in total.

“It was another great display of teamwork by all of these agencies,” the Morse Fall Lake Fire Department said in a Sept. 9 Facebook post after the Ensign Lake rescue.

Krueger said the Morse Fall Lake Fire Department and first responders cover a large area of remote wilderness. While the fire department is classified as a “paid volunteer” fire department, the first responders are unpaid volunteers.

“We do not staff our hall. We are staffed with whoever is available to come at the time we are paged for an emergency,” Krueger said. “Ely Area Ambulance does staff one ambulance 24/7, but they also then rely on other employees to come in as needed to cover when one of these types of calls happen. As these often times last many hours and pull our resources away to remote parts of our service area.”

The two BWCAW rescues in one week highlight the vital role of the local firefighters, first responders, ambulance staff, MART, U.S. Forest Service, local deputies, county search and rescue, and air medical partners in ensuring the best outcome for the patient, Krueger said.

Kalli Hawkins September 16, 2025