Massive Search After Lake Pepin Pontoon Crash Ends in Tragedy; Two Off-Duty Wabasha Firefighters Among Three Victims
Photo: Lake City Fire Department
Published: July 13th, 2026
Lake Pepin: A massive multi-agency search on Lake Pepin ended in tragedy after a pontoon boat crash left three people dead, including two off-duty Wabasha firefighters, according to the Lake City Fire Department.
The incident began at approximately 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, when the Lake City Fire Department was dispatched to Lake Pepin after receiving reports of people calling for help off the Wisconsin shoreline.
Lake City's fire boat was the first rescue vessel to arrive and found a capsized pontoon with three survivors clinging to the overturned boat. Firefighter-paramedics brought the occupants aboard, assessed them, and learned that three additional passengers were missing.
Rescuers conducted an initial search before determining the survivors needed to be transported for a higher level of medical care. They were taken to Pepin, Wisconsin, where crews from Pepin EMS and the Pepin Fire Department met them.
An extensive search continued throughout the night involving personnel from the Lake City Fire Department, Pepin Fire Department, Red Wing Fire Department, Goodhue Fire Department, the Wabasha County Sheriff's Office, the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office, the Wabasha Fire Department, and multiple civilian watercraft equipped with sonar.
By daybreak, additional resources from Minnesota and Wisconsin had joined the operation. A unified command post was established at the Lake City Marina by the Lake City Emergency Operations Center, while a separate command post was established in Wisconsin because the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is leading the crash investigation.
The Minnesota command post was staffed by the Lake City Fire Department, the Wabasha County Sheriff's Office, and the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, remaining in constant communication with Wisconsin officials as search efforts continued throughout the day.
According to the Lake City Fire Department, crews investigated numerous sonar targets before the three missing passengers were ultimately located Sunday evening using sonar and advanced underwater search technology. County and state agencies then recovered the victims from the lake.
The department said the search operation was one of the largest in recent memory, with 22 agencies launching from the Lake City Marina alone, in addition to numerous drone teams, helicopter crews, dive teams, specialized search teams, and other responders from across Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Lake City Fire officials said the incident was especially difficult because the victims were well known throughout the public safety community. Two of the three victims were off-duty members of the Wabasha Fire Department.
"It was an emotionally taxing 18 hours because the passengers were known in the public safety community as they are our family," the department said in a statement. "Our hearts are once again heavy with tragic loss. We couldn't be prouder to be able to respond to our brothers and sister in need. We will mourn with you. We will grieve with you."
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal pontoon boat crash. Authorities have not yet publicly released the identities of the three victims.