CRANE LAKE- A 50-year-old male scuba diver from Embarrass drowned on Sunday while attempting to salvage a piece of heavy equipment in Crane Lake.
In an item posted to social media on Saturday,  assistance from a diver was requested to recover a skid steer that sank in 70 feet of water. The diver who responded, Willam Rebarich, was not affiliated with any recovery or salvage company. He was assisting the recovery effort from a barge that would have been used to transport the skid steer back to shore.
The group working the recovery became concerned when Rebarich failed to surface after a period of time underwater and began rescue efforts at the scene, assisted by first responders who arrived to help. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office was notified about the emergency at 12:13 p.m.
The press statement issued by the sheriff’s office does not say how Rebarich was brought to the surface, but he was immediately transported to shore where emergency responders worked to revive him. Their efforts were unsuccessful, and Rebarich was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident and cause of death are under investigation by the sheriff’s office, with assistance from the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office.
The sheriff’s office was assisted on scene by Voyageurs National Park Service rangers, Orr Ambulance, Orr Fire Department, Crane Lake Fire Department, St. Louis County Rescue Squad, the DNR, and North Memorial air medical.