Grand Marais

3 missing, 1 rescued after boat capsizes in Lake Superior
10/8/2006, 2:49 p.m. ET
The Associated Press

GRAND MARAIS, Mich. (AP) — A 90-year-old man and his son and daughter-in-law were missing after their fishing boat capsized in heavy seas on Lake Superior, officials said.

A fourth person was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard on Saturday after spending nearly 14 hours in 55-degree water.

The boat capsized about noon Friday, the Coast Guard said. About 1:45 a.m. Saturday, the Coast Guard rescued passenger Robert Nyman, 62, of Grand Marais, who was clinging to the overturned boat. A Coast Guard helicopter crew spotted Nyman, and a rescue swimmer was lowered to help him into the helicopter’s basket.

Still missing were the boat’s owner Willard Handrich, 90, of Grand Marais, his son Eldon Handrich, 59, and Eldon’s wife, Maggie, 60, both of Laramie, Wyo., the Coast Guard said.

After searching Friday and into Saturday afternoon, the Coast Guard suspended an active search for the boaters.

“The survivor reported that he saw them go under,” Brett Gary, assistant duty officer at the Coast Guard’s District 9 command center, said Sunday.

The search began after the National Parks Service at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore reported that the “Blue Heron” left Grand Marais Marina on Friday morning but failed to return as scheduled in the afternoon.

Nyman was taken to Marquette General Hospital, which said he was discharged Sunday.

---

The memorial for Willard Handrich and his son and daughter-in-law (Eldon and Maggie) was held Friday, October 13, 2006 in Grand Marais.

The four boaters were friends of my family. Another three lives taken by Lake Superior from the small community of Grand Marais.