Two young girls were plucked from the water after their kayaks overturned on the Minong Flowage Saturday afternoon.

Deputy Steve Olson was patrolling on the Minong Flowage around 2pm August 9th on a jet-ski when he noticed something floating in the middle of a large bay east of Totogatic Park.  Through binoculars he observed two kayaks floating upside down, as well as two small heads bobbing in the water.

Deputy Olson raced over to the location and found that the two kayaks were completely filled with water.  Two twelve year old girls from Bruce, WI were trying to get back in the kayaks.  Neither girl was wearing a life jacket.  They appeared to be exhausted and asked for help.

According to the report:  “Both girls told me they needed help.  Both girls’ heads were barely out of the water. One of the young girls appeared more scared and tired than the other and I told her that she should get on the back of the jet-ski. I then asked the other girl if she could hang on to the kayak while I ran the first girl back to shore.  The second girl said she did not think she could hang on that long so I told her she should also get onto the jet-ski.  The second girl was hanging onto a kayak paddle, apparently using it to help her stay afloat.”

Deputy Olson then brought the two to shore, towing one of the kayaks.  He returned for the second kayak and brought it to shore as well. The distance to shore was later determined to be about .4 miles.