Overview
- A 911 caller reported people screaming from the water late Saturday night and first responders arrived to find an overturned pontoon offshore from the YMCA camp on Deer Island.
- Three people were clinging to the capsized boat and told crews that three other occupants could not be located.
- Pepin County (Wis.) and Wabasha County (Minn.) issued a joint release and launched a large search using rescue boats, drone teams, helicopters and other specialized resources.
- Authorities have confirmed that camp staff and campers were not involved and have not released the identities or condition of the missing or survivors.
- Search efforts remain active on Lake Pepin, a widened section of the Mississippi River that straddles Minnesota and Wisconsin, which requires cross‑jurisdiction coordination as officials investigate cause and next steps.