St. Paul man drowns after canoe capsizes on Wolf Lake

Authorities say a 20-year-old St. Paul man is dead after the canoe he was in capsized on Wolf Lake in Aitkin County on Saturday night.

According to the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office, a call came in just before 9 p.m. from a person who said he and his cousin had gone out on a canoe and ended up in the water while camping at Savanna Portage State Park.

Despite the two trying to swim back to shore, one of the cousins, identified as Htoo Shwe, began panicking and never resurfaced after going under.

Multiple agencies began searching the lake for Shwe, who was later found at the bottom of the lake and pronounced dead.

Shwe’s cause of death has been ruled as a drowning.

Authorities add neither of the two people in the canoe were wearing a lifejacket, and alcohol is also believed to be a factor.