Authorities investigate second fatality at Palisade Head after Duluth man found dead

Authorities responded to Palisade Head in Tettegouche State Park early Monday afternoon after a body was reported on the rocks at the base of the cliff.

First responders were dispatched at 11:13 a.m. after receiving a report of a body. The Lake County Rescue Squad and Sheriff’s Office recovered the body a short time later.

The victim has been identified as Michael Morse, 64, from Duluth, Minn.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the case is under investigation. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office is assisting with the investigation.

No further information is known at this time.

“The Lake County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the MN DNR Marine Unit, MN State Patrol, Lake County Ambulance Service, and the Tettegouche State Park staff for their assistance,” the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said.

This is the second fatality reported at Palisade Head, a scenic overlook along the North Shore within the state park this summer. On May 27, the body of a Minneapolis man, identified as Seth Pipho, was recovered near the base of the cliffs.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office told WTIP that the medical examiner’s final summary regarding the circumstances of Pipho’s manner of death was determined to be an accident due to “multiple blunt force injuries from the fall from height.”

Kalli Hawkins July 7, 2026