12-05-2025
St. Louis Park canoeist found dead in Boundary Waters
The Brief
The body of a 62-year-old man was recovered from Iron Lake in the Boundary Waters in far northern Minnesota over the weekend.
The man was found near a capsized canoe spotted by a U.S. Forest Service worker.
The victim was identified as a St. Louis Park man.
(FOX 9) - The body of a St. Louis Park, Minn. man was recovered from Iron Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area after a U.S. Forest Service worker spotted a capsized canoe over the weekend.
What we know
Around 2:17 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, U.S. Forest Service employees reported finding a capsized canoe on Iron Lake. The lake is in one of the most remote parts of northern Minnesota, just miles from the Canadian border.
A short time later, Forest Service workers found the victim and their gear floating near the canoe.
The backstory
The victim was identified by authorities on Sunday as 62-year-old Robert Sydney James of St. Louis Park. Deputies say it appears James was on a solo trip to the Boundary Waters when he died. Authorities say he was wearing a life jacket when his body was found.
What we don't know
The exact circumstances of James' death are not known. The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office and the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office are investigating the incident.
