Minnesota Storm Kills Two Campers, A Teen Boy And A Female Volunteer

A storm just hit the U.S.-Canadian border and have ravaged northern Minnesota. The aftermath are uprooted trees, entangled power lines, two dead and injured American campers.

The Washington Post reports that Canadian police have found two campers following a huge storm that reached Basswood Lake in Quetico Provincial Park where the Boy Scouts of America were camping. The Ontario Provincial Police identified the fallen bodies as teen boy, Christian James Sanchez, 13, from Lewisville, Texas and female volunteer, Rorth Lac, 39, from Carrollton, Texas.

A tree killed the teen boy and the female volunteer when it fell right on top of their tents. Two other campers had serious injuries and were rushed to the hospital in Ely (via The Washington Post).

According to The Washington Post, none of the campers knew that there was a storm coming. As per The Star Tribune, the campers were sleeping on their tents when at 3 a.m. they heard trees falling down with strong winds and rain. They immediately called for help and a floatplane was sent from St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, as well as response from Lake County rescue squads.

The families of the nine campers, three adults and six boys, are now being notified of the incident. The Boy Scouts will prepare grief counseling sessions for the members and volunteers (via The Washington Post).

As per CBS Minnesota, the storm came with destructive winds that reportedly reached up to 80 miles per hour. It cut power lines in Minnesota where thousands of locals lost electricity from Duluth to the twin cities.

Early on Thursday, Duluth authorities have already advised against travel because of the entangled power lines and loads of debris in the streets. Clearing of debris have started in Beltrami County.

Senior Research Scientist at Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorology Chuck Doswell alerts campers that they should be prepared with every possible thing they can encounter during a campout. Thunderstorms are unavoidable which is why campers should know how to keep safe when it happens.

Some tips include avoiding tall objects especially isolated trees and fence and power lines to minimize risks of being hit by lightning. Driving into water is also unadvisable and even staying out of water crossings or streams to be safe in case a flash flood happens. It is a must to look for caves or whatever place that can shield one from flying debris and the head should be covered with one's hands at all times.

In case you're at home when a thunderstorm strikes or you heard news that one is about to come, watch the video below to learn about the preparations you can do to keep you and your family safe. Comment your thoughts and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.