Searchers at dawn Tuesday resumed trying to find a seasoned visitor to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness who has not returned from his latest outing to the far northeastern tip of Minnesota.
The Cook County Sheriff's Office said it was alerted about 3 p.m. Monday to the disappearance of the Michael Raymond Hickey, 59, of Duluth, who was believed to be in a canoe on Pine Lake off the Arrowhead Trail.
On Monday, searchers found a partly submerged canoe registered to Hickey, as well as paddles and personal items, the Sheriff's Office added. The man's truck was located at the McFarland Lake boat landing, near Pine Lake.
Hickey "is a longtime user of the area who has been fishing Pine Lake for many years," said Sheriff Pat Eliasen. "Colleagues reported him missing when he failed to attend work Monday, and attempts to contact him were unsuccessful."
The sheriff said Hickey left for Pine Lake on Friday and was supposed to return Sunday.
Pine Lake, north of Hovland, has more than 18 miles of shoreline, a maximum depth of 113 feet and covers 2,122 acres.
"We are conducting an extensive search and doing everything we can to locate Mr. Hickey, including a ground, water and air search," the sheriff said late Tuesday morning.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
