On Friday August 25, 2023 at 2:58 p.m., the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office received a call of an abandoned boat floating near Cedar Swamp Island on the Chippewa Flowage in the Town of Hunter. Sawyer County Deputies responded to the scene assisted by the Wisconsin DNR, LCO Tribal Wardens, Federal Forest Service, Sawyer County Search & Rescue, St. Louis County Search and Rescue and the Sawyer County Dive Team.
Upon arrival authorities located an unoccupied fishing boat complete with fishing gear. Further investigation determined the owner of the boat to be Lowell H. Tesky, 74 of Winter, WI. It was also learned that Tesky had gone fishing earlier in the morning and had not returned.
Teams searched the nearby islands and shorelines including both aerial and water searches. The search continued throughout the weekend. Early Monday morning Tesky was found deceased in the water.
The incident remains under investigation by the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office, Sawyer County Medical Examiners Office and the State of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
