ONTONAGON COUNTY, MI— The DNR is urging paddleboarders to be safe, after two people were rescued from Lake Superior last week.
Around 3:30 p.m. Friday, DNR Conservation Officers received a report of two paddleboarders in distress on the water near Ontonagon County. The women, a 29-year-old from Minnesota and a 37-year-old from Illinois, were originally from the Ontonagon area. Officials say they couldn’t paddle against strong wind back to shore.
Dispatchers gave the officers an approximate GPS location for the women. Just after 4 p.m., the officers took an Ontonagon County Sheriff’s Office patrol boat out to the paddleboarders, who were then about 2 miles from shore. They say neither had a life jacket and one of the paddles was lost. One of the two had never been on a paddleboard before that day.
The women were in good condition and got a ride back to the beach.
To stay safe while paddleboarding, the DNR says wear a life jacket, use a leash to connect to your board, carry a waterproof phone, know your limits, and wear a wetsuit or drysuit.
