3 boaters missing after pontoon overturns on Lake Pepin
Three boaters remain missing after a pontoon boat overturned on Lake Pepin late Saturday, July 11, 2026. The Pepin County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call around 10:45 p.m. reporting people screaming for help. Rescuers found three survivors clinging to the overturned boat near Deer Island, Wisconsin, but three other occupants could not be located as of Sunday morning. A large-scale search involving Minnesota and Wisconsin agencies continued with helicopters, drones, and rescue boats deployed across the Mississippi River lake.
Key Takeaways
- Three occupants are still unaccounted for after a pontoon boat overturned on Lake Pepin around 10:45 p.m. Saturday.
- Three survivors were rescued clinging to the overturned vessel offshore from the YMCA Camp on Deer Island.
- Joint search efforts by Wabasha and Pepin county sheriff's offices include boats, drones, and helicopters.
- No campers or camp staff from the nearby YMCA facility were involved in the incident.
- Officials have not released the identities of the missing boaters and are not requesting public search help.
What happened on Lake Pepin Saturday night?
The Pepin County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call at approximately 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, reporting people screaming for help from the waters of Lake Pepin, according to a joint release from the Wabasha and Pepin county sheriff's offices.
When first responders arrived, they found an overturned pontoon boat just offshore from the YMCA Camp on Deer Island in Pepin County, Wisconsin. Three people were clinging to the boat when crews reached the scene.
Those survivors told authorities that three additional occupants had been aboard but could not be located. Neither sheriff's office has released names or other identifying details about the missing boaters or survivors.
How are authorities searching for the missing boaters?
A large-scale search and rescue operation began immediately after the boat was found. The effort draws emergency personnel from both Wisconsin and Minnesota, reflecting Lake Pepin's position along the Mississippi River border between the two states.
According to officials, the response includes rescue boats, drones, helicopters, and other specialized search resources. As of 10:30 a.m. Sunday, search efforts remained ongoing and a significant emergency presence remained on the lake.
Neither the Wabasha County nor Pepin County Sheriff's Office is asking the public for assistance with search and rescue efforts at this time.
Was anyone at the YMCA camp involved?
Although the overturned boat was found near the Deer Island YMCA Camp, authorities stressed that no campers or camp staff were involved in the boating incident. The camp's proximity to the scene appears coincidental rather than connected to the group aboard the pontoon.
Boating accidents on major Midwest waterways often draw multi-agency responses when lives remain unaccounted for. For context on similar unresolved cases, see our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries coverage.
What should people near Lake Pepin know?
This remains a developing situation. KTTC reported that the Wabasha County Sheriff's Office confirmed the boating accident but could not yet specify how many agencies or individuals were involved beyond the three missing and three rescued.
Official updates are coming through the joint release from both sheriff's offices. For the latest verified details, refer to the KTTC reporting on the Lake Pepin search.