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by Dawn Slade
After months of searching, the body of fisherman Michael Hedin has been recovered from Lake Mille Lacs.
On Oct. 31, 2008, rescue efforts began in the search for Hedin, 59, of Maple Grove, who had gone missing. His body was located and recovered Saturday, June 20.
“There were those that didn’t believe he was in the lake, but when you got to know the family and conducted the investigation, he was not anywhere else but in the lake,” Mille Lacs County Sheriff Brent Lindgren said. “Thankfully for the family a funeral can now occur and the healing can begin.”
Hedin had been staying at the Mille Lacs Grand Casino Hotel and left to go fishing on Oct. 29 at around 2:14 p.m. His 1997 18-foot Ranger boat had been launched from Cash’s Landing around 2:22 p.m., his vehicle and trailer were still at the launch site.
His wife reported he called her around 5:30 p.m. that evening indicating he was done fishing for the day.
The boat was recovered on Oct. 30 in Aitkin County near the Red Door. Both motors were down in the water but not running. The lights were in place, but shut off. The boat was full on fuel, his rods were accounted for and strung, the GPS was off, his cell phone was on board, and his life jacket and anchors were in the boat.
GPS information acquired from the boat had a point of interest on Lake Mille Lacs in Mille Lacs County and search efforts were concentrated in that area with side scan sonar, diving and dragging efforts.
The Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office obtained information that Hedin was alone, without a life jacket on, fishing for muskies along Indian Point going towards Rainbow Island around 4:21 p.m. on Oct. 29. The GPS information trail ended in the middle of Mille Lacs Lake approximately 7.5 miles out from Rainbow Island.
Numerous agencies assisted in the search effort, including cadaver dogs, fixed wing patrol, jet skis, ROV’s (Remote Operation Vehicles - miniature submarines) equipped with sonar, lights and video, to search the 100,000 plus acres of Lake Mille Lacs.
Lake residents were also encouraged to keep an eye on their property shorelines and report anything they found.
The Minnesota National Guard Air Support unit, through executive order by Governor Tim Pawlenty, were called in for 10 days as water temperatures were lowering and area bays were beginning to ice over.
“Locating the missing man prior to ice over and snowfall is desired but weather conditions and lowering temperatures hold a strong hand on several factors affecting refloatation of a suspected drowning victim,” Lindgren had said last fall. “The window of opportunity for a drowning victim’s refloatation prior to ice over is closing by the day. Ice is forming in the bays and snow has began falling. These conditions all affect recovery efforts.”
Spring recovery efforts
On May 7, Lindgren utilized reverse 911 with a recorded message reminding lake residents that the search for the missing fisherman was resuming as the ice was out and warmer weather was on the way.
“As the spring and summer water temperatures continue to rise so, too, does the likelihood of refloatation of a drowning victim,” Lindgren reminded residents.
“The ice out was normal the end of April, but the warming of the lake this year was slow to rise due to a cloudy and cold spring with the lake water temperature only reaching 65 degrees this past weekend,” Lindgren said. “The last entire sweep of the lake was conducted on Thursday, June 18 without locating the missing fisherman.”
On Saturday, June 20, John Heller of Coon Rapids was walking the Mille Lacs Lake shoreline about a third of a mile north of the Garrison public access looking for lures, when he saw what he thought to be a body in the water near a weed line in the sand.
Heller called the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office around 10:04 a.m. Mille Lacs County investigators assisted Crow Wing County deputies with the recovery of the body in Crow Wing County.
The body appeared to have come ashore within the preceding few days and appeared to have been under water for an extended period of time before that.
According to the sheriff’s office, the recovered body was clad with hiking boots, black pants, and a zipper jacket on it. The body recovered matched the physical size and description of Hedin and there were three other items of identification on the body, that were verified with family, to belong to Hedin.
The body is scheduled for autopsy with the Ramsey County medical examiners office where positive identification will be made later this week.
Sheriff Lindgren and the Hedin family thanked all those who assisted in the nearly eight-month search of the missing fisherman.
Lindgren said of all the agencies and those who helped, “Communications of Crow Wing, Aitkin and Mille Lacs counties, Mille Lacs Sheriff Search and Rescue, Mille Lacs County deputies and investigation, Crow Wing, Mille Lacs and Tribal DNR divers, Crow Wing County Boat and Water, Aitkin County Boat and Water, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Water Patrol and divers, St. Louis County Search and Rescue, Central Lakes Search and Rescue K-9, Minnesota State Patrol, Civil Air Patrol, Minnesota DNR and State Patrol fixed wing and helicopter units, the Minnesota National Guard Air Unit, the media with their reporting and public service announcement’s, all the citizens walking and combing the shorelines, and the lake Mille Lacs property owners who put up with helicopters, airplanes, boats and jet skis by the shoreline and docks every week.
“Everyone’s patience and dedication helped play a part in this recovery effort and all are to be commended for their work. As sheriff, I am proud of the determination of all involved with the ‘never, never, never give up’ attitude. While some may have believed the missing fisherman wasn’t in the great lake, all indications placed him there and the determination paid off once again. You all are to be commended for your determination.”
Lindgren also reminds everyone to wear a PDF (personal floatation device) either a life jacket or other approved floatation devise especially when they are out alone, in cold waters, not familiar with the lake, or under motorized power on the water.
“And always let someone know where you are and have a reporting in system in place,” Lindgren added. “No matter how experienced you are or how great a swimmer, if you should experience an emergency medical condition or fall overboard you may not be able to make it back to your boat, especially in cold waters, and you yourself can become a drowning victim.
“Not wearing a PFD may create needless other victims, the family members who patiently wait months for recovery identification and final closure.”
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