Minnesota National Guard assists in Boundary Waters search and rescue

Video by Courtesy

Minnesota National Guard

May 23, 2024 | 0:06

Minnesota National Guard aviators with B Company, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment, assist the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office in their search and rescue efforts in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area May 23, 2024, after four canoeists went over Curtain Falls. Two members of the group have been rescued; however, two Minnesota residents remain missing.

“No one expects their vacation to turn to crisis. Yet, when four canoeists went over Curtain Falls in the BWCA, this became a reality,” said Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who ordered the National Guard's activation. “My family is intimately familiar with the fear and heartbreak these canoeists are feeling. We are praying for those involved and immensely grateful to everyone from the Sheriff’s office to the National Guard who are supporting this mission.”

The St. Cloud-based CH-47 Chinook helicopter crew of four are providing heavy-lift capabilities, transporting equipment including a boat into the remote area. (Minnesota National Guard photo by Chief Warrant Officer Two Kenyon Santomango)