Wind, waves kill 2 Grand Rapids heroes

Sunday was supposed to be a day of sun and fun for the youth group from Faith Baptist Church in Grand Rapids.

But their plans for a boat ride, picnic and some swimming off a sandy beach on popular Pokegama Lake south of town didn't foresee wind gusts of 40 to 50 miles per hour. And the sudden turn in the weather changed gentle waves into dangerous whitecaps.

By the end of the day, the rough water had cost two adult volunteers their lives.

Nathan Junker, 30, the church youth director, and Albert Hermiston, 63, a youth group volunteer, saw that one of the boys in the group was swimming too close to a drop-off near a sandbar after the high winds came up. About 5 p.m., after swimming out with a life jacket for the boy, Junker and Hermiston disappeared beneath the surface. Neither man was wearing a life jacket, Itasca County Chief Deputy Terry Snyder said.

The boy, wearing Hermiston's life jacket, made it safely to shore.

"They did what they had to do," Faith Baptist minister Paul Losik said Tuesday, recalling how the men worked to get the boy and others out of harm's way. "That's who they were. It doesn't surprise me at all. And I guess we know they are in a better place."

Losik said about seven or eight kids went on the outing, along with Junker, Hermiston, their spouses and two members of the church who owned the houseboat the group took to Nesbitt Island, a popular spot in the middle of Pokegama.

Snyder said the island's main draw is a long sand bar that makes for good swimming, though it has a sharp drop-off.

But the conditions Sunday turned far from ideal. Snyder said the wind was "ferocious," with sustained winds above 30 mph and gusts to 50 mph.

"The waves were unusually large," he said, "and they crossed over the sandbar everyone was swimming on."

Wind and whitecaps

Scott Schulte, co-owner of the restaurant Zorbaz, not far from the island, said it's unusual for the lake to get big waves, but Sunday was one of those days.

"It's a big lake, but there are a lot of arms and offshoots, so generally the waves can't get gigantic,'' Schulte said. "But when it's just the right wind direction, they can."

Losik said the church group anchored the houseboat on the calm side of Nesbitt Island. He said he was told by those who were there it was during "kind of a lull'' in the wind and whitecaps. But about 5 p.m., as several of the children waded or swam off the sandbar, the winds "kicked up again," he said.

Junker and Hermiston noticed that several of the kids, all but one of whom had life jackets, were being pushed by the wind and waves dangerously close to "a very deep drop-off," Snyder said.

At that point, he said, Junker and Hermiston "recognized these kids were out further than they should be," and waded along the sandbar to reach them. Once there, Hermiston took off his life jacket and one of the men gave it to the boy who did not have one.

The boy and his friends then worked their way to shore.

"The next thing was, everybody turned around and Mr. Hermiston and Mr. Junker were gone," Snyder said. "We don't have any eyewitnesses to what happened. Maybe they were overtaken by waves."

"But," Snyder added, "there's no doubt that because the life jacket was placed on the boy, the boy is still alive. ... They are hometown heroes, no doubt."

Snyder said some of the members of the youth group pulled Hermiston from the water after spotting him minutes later. He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital and later pronounced dead.

Junker's body was recovered Monday night by Itasca County sheriff's divers.

Snyder said alcohol was not involved in the accident.

A community mourns

As news of the drownings spread across Grand Rapids, a city of 8,200 about 175 miles north of the Twin Cities, friends and relatives remembered the men fondly.

Losik said Hermiston, recently retired from a power company, was an avid sportsman and fisherman who grew up in the area and knew its lakes well.

"He just had that contagious personality -- he loved people," said Steve Ashley, Hermiston's son-in-law.

Junker, who was married and had four children ages 4 months to 6 years, also grew up in the area and returned recently to take the job of youth pastor at Faith. His father is a pastor at a neighboring church.

Losik said his son, who was on the boat trip Sunday, looked up to both men.

"These were two of his favorite guys," Losik said. "Herm was like a grandfather to him. Nathan was like a big brother."

Losik said the men were so popular in the church and surrounding community that memorial services will have to be held elsewhere "because our church is too small."

In addition to his wife, Hermiston is survived by a son, a daughter and four grandchildren. In addition to his wife and four children, Junker is survived by his parents.

Richard Meryhew • 612-673-4425