St. Louis County rescue crews are moving their gear out of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area after discovering the body of 40-year-old Reis Grams of Lino Lakes on Monday morning, according to authorities.

For more than two weeks, members of the St. Louis County rescue squad, along with other law enforcement, searched for Grams, a canoeist, around the Curtain Falls area, helped at times by the Minnesota National Guard.

“Reis was such a good man, he would be so proud of everyone’s strength getting through this,” said his wife, Angie Grams. “He’d just want everyone to pray and focus on their higher power.”

Search and rescue efforts had been taking place from the air, ground and in the water after a couple of canoes ran into trouble back in mid-May, and went over the falls.

Near Curtain Falls, between Crooked Lake and Iron Lake on the Minnesota-Ontario border, one of the canoes had a problem, according to law enforcement, when another canoe in the group went to help.

Two men in the group survived, but Reis and another friend, 41-year-old Jesse Haugen, didn’t make it out alive.

Another group that was in the BWCA saw one of the men in need of help, and was able to call 911 for help.

“He would welcome you into his home just like you were his family,” said Reis’ friend, Brandon Rickert. “He was a family man, very loving, caring, selfless, he did a lot of mission work.”

There’s a table Reis built in the family’s garage, with a map of the Boundary Waters map, and photos that he had taken on trips since he was a kid.

It’s where loved ones gathered all these days waiting for word about Reis from search teams.

“It was like a sense of comfort and connection to him,” Angie said.

She knows her husband was doing what he truly loved, canoeing with friends, in a place that he loved as well.

“He absolutely loves it there,” Angie said.

The family went on mission trips to Mexico to help build homes over the years.

Loved ones are planning another mission trip down the road to remember Reis.

Friends started a fundraising page to help the families of the two men.