Missing Man Found in Beltrami County on July 9, 2011

Donald Hoogeven, age 76, of northern Iowa went missing from a location on the southeastern point of Pimushe Lake, approximately 20 miles east of Bemidji. He had last been seen by relatives at approximately 6:30 PM. Family members, Beltrami County Sheriff’s deputies, assisted by Leech Lake Tribal Police and Game Wardens, a Minnesota DNR enforcement officer, State Patrol, Border Patrol, Blackduck Fire and friends unsuccessfully searched at length for Mr. Hoogeven. Don, or Grandpa Hogie, as he prefers to be called, suffers from advanced dementia.

The search was called off due to the rain and late hour at approximately 2 AM after extensive searches of the woods and shoreline on Pimushe Lake.

On Saturday at 7:00 AM a group of Beltrami County Emergency Operations Team volunteers, along with Beltrami County Sheriff Phil Hodapp, Deputies and Emergency Management, assembled at the Law Enforcement Center and deployed to the last known location of Donald Hoogevan. The team was joined by several other agencies and a search began. With the help of a neighbor who was very familiar with the area, and the team he was part of, Don was located in a wooded, swampy area, approximately ¾ of a mile from where his walk began, at 9:08 AM on Saturday morning.

Mosquitoes and swamp grass, along with the high humidity, were not kind to Don but he was doing very well for having spent the night in the woods. He was taken by Bemidji Ambulance to the Sanford Bemidji Medical Center for treatment due to exposure. .

Agencies assisting with this successful search and rescue were the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse, Paul Bunyan Amateur Radio Club, ISD 31 Transportation, Bemidji Police Citizens Patrol, Lakes Area Dive Team, Pimushe Resort, Leech Lake Tribal Police officers and game wardens, Minnesota DNR, Border Patrol, Blackduck Fire, Bemidji Ambulance, Beltrami County GIS (Geographical Information Systems) and many assorted neighbors and friends.

The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office thanks and salutes all of the many volunteers and neighbors who turned out to assist in this story that had a happy ending for all.