The search for missing canoeists in Boundary Waters wilderness expected to carry into the weekend

A massive search for two missing canoeists in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is expected to carry into the weekend with the help of the Minnesota National Guard.

According to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, several pieces of equipment were moved into the area near Curtain Falls in the BWCA on Thursday. That area is along the Canadian border in a remote area of the BWCA north of Ely, Minnesota.

"That's the one thing we want to make sure everyone comes back and that we can go in there and do the best job they can because these people, the majority of them are rescue squad are all volunteers," says St. Louis County Sheriff's Office Division Commander Nate Skelton. "They go in there of their own free will and they're probably some of the most highly trained rescue and search people in the state."

Skelton says rising water levels and weather are making search efforts more difficult. Air support was suspended due to the weather on Friday and is expected to resume Saturday.

"Conditions have kind of deteriorated up there because of all the weather and the rain, the water levels have riven risen about a foot, the water has become increasingly more turbulent," says Skelton. "But with the help of equipment and personnel, got boats and canoes and our sonar ROV's, drones, not to mention some of the air support yesterday that was flying the circumference of the lake and checking shorelines and things of that nature. To see if they can note anything from the air."

In total four people went over in a canoe at Curtain Falls. Two of them were rescued while 41-year-old Jesse Haugen of Cambridge and 40-year-old Reis Grams of Lino Lakes remain missing.

Skelton said Friday that it's important that search teams stay safe in the difficult conditions.

"It's no small undertaking, let's just put it that way," says Skelton. So, I mean, just getting the people in there and set up in camp and making sure that we can do it safely. That's the one thing, we wanna make sure everyone comes back and that we can go in there and do the best job they can because these people, the majority of them are rescue squad. All are volunteers and they're good at what they do. So if there's a chance that we can find these people and bring them back, they'll be able to do it. We're just hoping for the best."