07/14/2026
Sending our love and comfort to all! We hold you tightly.
On July 11 at 11:59 p.m., the Lake City Fire Department was dispatched to Lake Pepin in response to calls for help off the Wisconsin shoreline.
The Lake City Fire Boat was the first vessel on the scene and discovered a capsized pontoon with three passengers on top. After the occupants were brought aboard, the patients were assessed by a firefighter/paramedic. The passengers reported that three additional people were unaccounted for. A brief search was conducted for the other passengers before the decision was made to transport the three patients to a higher level of medical care. Crews were met in Pepin by Pepin EMS and the Pepin Fire Department.
Additional searches of the area were conducted throughout the night by Lake City Fire, Pepin Fire, Red Wing Fire, Goodhue Fire, the Wabasha County Sheriff’s Office, the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office, Wabasha Fire, and multiple civilian watercraft using sonar. By daybreak, even more agencies had arrived on the scene. A unified command post was established at the Lake City Marina by the Lake City Emergency Operations Center. A separate Wisconsin command post was also established, as the Wisconsin DNR was responsible for investigating the crash.
The Minnesota command post was staffed by Lake City Fire, the Wabasha County Sheriff’s Office, and Olmsted County deputies and remained in constant communication with Wisconsin command. Throughout the day, extensive searches of the lake were conducted. The searches were closely coordinated through unified command using shared technology.
That evening, after many points of interest had been explored, the final three passengers were located by sonar and their locations were confirmed using advanced underwater technology. The three passengers were brought to shore by county and state agencies.
This was an incredibly intensive search, and nearly every fire department and county and state agency imaginable responded to the scene. It was an emotionally taxing 18 hours because the passengers were known within the public safety community. They are our family.
Our hearts are once again heavy with tragic loss. We could not be prouder to have been able to respond to our brothers and sister in need. We will mourn with you. We will grieve with you. We will even feed you. We see you, WFD, and we are here.
In total, 22 agencies launched from the Lake City Marina alone. Many other agencies responded from across the region, including drone teams, helicopter crews, dive teams, and search teams. There are too many people to thank, and I would surely forget some. Many agencies were there that I did not even know had responded.
The search was a large-scale operation, and this is only our story. Many selfless people showed up to help.
-Chief Dan Patterson
and the Lake City Fire Department