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Empty Kayak found on Lake Superior

Considered \'lost and found\'

KEWEENAW COUNTY - Local law enforcement along with the Coast Guard are investigating the discovery of an unmanned kayak on Lake Superior. At approximately 11 a.m. Friday, the Sheriff's Office issued a public safety notice announcing it had located a blue and white recreational kayak afloat in the Bete Gris area of Lake Superior. According to the notice, the department was working with the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct a search of the surrounding area.

At around 1 p.m. Friday, Sheriff Deputy Matthew Ebberly told the Daily Mining Gazette the Coast Guard had called off its search while personnel await further information regarding the kayak. Ebberly said both the Coast Guard and the sheriff's office conducted searches in attempt to find anyone stranded in the water, but without success. Eberly said a private party initially reported having spotted the kayak.

"What happened was a private boat found the kayak, called the Coast Guard and gave them the coordinates, Ebberly said. "The Coast Guard called us, gave us the coordinates, and we plotted it." The coordinates, however, plotted the location at Keystone Bay. Ebberly then traveled to the location and interviewed campers, but none of them reported anyone in the area having a kayak within the previous three days. A continued search subsequently located the kayak in Bete Grise, about 25 miles west of Keystone Bay.

Ebberly said his office has received numerous phone calls providing information, none of which were related to the blue and white kayak. With no further reports of a lost kayak or a missing kayaker at that point, Ebberly said any further search was suspended.

"Without any further information, we're just going to regard it as a 'lost and found' kayak," he said.