Kansas man drowns at Illgen Falls in Tettegouche State Park

A 25-year-old Kansas resident drowned in the Baptism River within Tettegouche State Park on July 4.

On Friday, July 4, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a party in the state park, who reported that a male had been underwater for approximately 10 minutes at Illgen Falls.

The 25-year-old identified as Hari Kiran Gowd Senagana from Overland Park, Kan., was swimming in the river with a group. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office stated that one party from the group witnessed the victim struggling in the water but was unable to assist due to the depth of the water.

In a Monday Facebook post, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said once deputies and the St. Louis County Rescue Squad ROV team arrived on the scene, the ROV team was able to locate and recover the victim from approximately 32 feet of water.

Also assisting at the scene were Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers, the Silver Bay Police Department, Minnesota State Park staff, Lake County Rescue Squad, Lake County Ambulance, and the US Forest Service Law Enforcement.

The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office has preliminarily ruled this as an accidental drowning.

Kalli Hawkins July 8, 2025