Four girls rescued after stranded on island while paddleboarding near Black Beach

Four girls, ranging in age from 8 to 14, were rescued from a small island near Black Beach in Silver Bay, Minn., in the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 17.

At 8:05 p.m., on Saturday, Aug. 16, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office received a call about four juvenile girls who were paddleboarding on Lake Superior near Black Beach. At some point while on the island, the girls lost their paddles in Lake Superior and became stranded.

The Silver Bay Police Department responded to the beach area to assess the situation and contact the parents, who called 911.

Simultaneously, the Lake County Sheriff deputies responded by boat, departing from the Silver Bay Marina. Due to the rough conditions on Lake Superior, the Silver Bay Marina manager took the deputies out on his former U.S. Coast Guard watercraft, which is designed to handle larger waves, officials said in a press release.

After arriving at the smaller island, deputies were able to make visual contact with the stranded girls and communicated with them to stay put.

Deputies then requested assistance from the Minnesota Air Rescue Team (MART) from St. Paul, but were notified that MART could not respond to the call due to weather conditions.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) agreed to send a helicopter from Traverse City, Mich.

While deputies and first responders waited for the USCG helicopter, the Lake County Rescue team was able to set up a rope relay with the girls from a nearby large island to the small island. The rope relay allowed the rescue team to transfer blankets and food to the girls. The girls were wearing swimsuits, and the first responders were concerned that the girls might get too cold.

At 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 17, the USCG helicopter arrived and successfully transported all four girls from the small island to a landing zone set up by the Silver Bay Fire Department in the nearby business park. The girls, ages 8, 10, 13, and 14, were returned safely to their parents.

Black Beach is a unique public beach along the North Shore known for its black sand created from taconite mining residue. It has become a popular North Shore destination for visitors to enjoy swimming, paddleboarding, picnicking, and more.

Agencies involved in responding to the call were the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake County Rescue Squad, the Silver Bay Police Department, the Silver Bay Fire Department, the Minnesota State Patrol, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Silver Bay Marina Manager, Mike Ettel.

Kalli Hawkins August 18, 2025