VNP ranger dies during lake rescue attempt

VOYAGEURS NAT’L PARK- A longtime Voyageurs National Park ranger died Sunday while rescuing a stranded family on Namakan Lake amid high winds and rough waters in Voyageurs National Park.
The ranger, identified as Kevin Grossheim, 55, of Kabetogama, responded to a distress call late Sunday morning from a family stranded on Birch Cove Island, according to the National Park Service. The family of three — a father, an adult son, and a young boy — had been camping when their boat was pushed ashore by five to six-foot waves, leaving them unable to free it.
Grossheim took the family aboard his Park Service boat to bring them back to the mainland, but the vessel capsized during the trip. St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay told MPR News that, “The front kind of nosedived, the boat listed, and flipped over upside-down.”
Ramsay noted that earlier reports stating Grossheim’s boat had been towing the family’s boat were inaccurate.
After the vessel capsized, the three family members were able to swim back to the island, but Grossheim did not resurface. His body was recovered after a three-hour search assisted by the U.S. Border Patrol, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kabetogama Fire Department.
Ramsay said that Grossheim was wearing a self-inflating life jacket, which was supposed to inflate upon contact with water.
Grossheim had served as a law enforcement ranger at Voyageurs National Park for over 20 years. He was also an instructor for the Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC) and a volunteer with the Kabetogama Fire Department and EMS.
“(Grossheim) really had a servant’s heart, and he died doing what he liked to do, and that was helping people,” Ramsay said.
He began his career as a seasonal ranger in 1993 and later worked at Boston National Historical Park and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore before his long tenure at Voyageurs.
Park Superintendent Bob DeGross expressed his condolences, describing Grossheim as someone who "was much loved by all and always known to go above and beyond. He will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to his wife and their loved ones.”
In honor of Grossheim’s selfless act and passing, National Park Service Deputy Director Frank Lands ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at national parks through Oct. 9. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz also ordered that U.S. and state flages at all state buildings be flown at half-staff in honor of Grossheim, and encouraged private citizens and businesses to do the same.
“Kevin Grossheim was a dedicated ranger and public servant, known for his unwavering commitment to helping others,” said Walz. “Minnesota mourns this tragic loss, and requests all flags be lowered in recognition of Ranger Grossheim’s service and sacrifice.”
The incident remains under investigation. Details regarding memorial services for Grossheim are still being finalized.