On Friday, September 30, 2022, at 8:35 p.m., the Barron County Sheriff’s Department received a call of a truck in the water on Red Cedar Lake just off Hwy 48, north of Mikana.
Deputies from the Barron County Sheriff’s Department along with the Birchwood Fire Department, Birchwood Ambulance, Chetek Fire Department Dive Team and WI DNR all responded to the scene. Initial investigation shows a truck driven by Christopher Kemmits, age 30 of Exeland, was travelling east on V, failed to stop for the stop sign at V and 48 and went into the lake. It appears that Mr. Kemmits was able to get out of the vehicle but could not make it to shore.
The Chetek Fire Department Dive team was able to located Mr. Kemmits in the water and he was brought to shore where he was pronounced deceased. The cause of this crash remains under investigation by the Barron County Sheriff’s Department and the Barron County Medical Examiner.
