The Washington County Sheriff's Office said Saturday it has recovered two bodies from Big Marine Lake following a boat accident.
Deputies found one man's body at 7 p.m. Friday, about five hours after receiving a 911 call about boaters in distress on the north side of the lake, according to a statement from the Sheriff's Office.
Witnesses said the men lost control of the boat shortly after leaving the landing and were ejected. Bystanders heard the men calling for help and took boats out to assist but could not locate the men.
Washington County rescue divers and the water recovery team, assisted by the Department of Natural Resources and the State Patrol, extensively searched the area before finding the first man's body.
They continued searching for the other man until "well past midnight," a Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said, but had to stop when rain made it hazardous to continue. The search continued Saturday as weather permitted. The search continued Saturday afternoon and the second man's body was found just before 4 p.m.
The men's identities will be released after the bodies are examined by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office and families are notified.
