Eight people rescued from sinking pontoon near Ottertail

By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent 

Sheriff deputies, shortly after midnight on Saturday, Aug. 2, reported that a drunken driver with no identification was injured northwest of Perham on Highway 10. He was admitted to the Perham hospital with the name “John Doe” and later was transported to a hospital in Fargo.

The man’s vehicle was found with him in a ditch near a rest stop. Deputies said the vehicle had a match for a previous driving complaint. Authorities added that the man was “highly intoxicated” when taken to the Perham hospital.

Pontoon passengers rescued at lake

A distress call was made from a pontoon at a lake west of Ottertail city at 3:54 p.m. on Aug. 4. Water came onto the pontoon which had five adults and three children on board.

The people were rescued by nearby boaters who were assisted by members of the county water patrol.

Authorities urge pontoon users to avoid overloading. To do this, check the placard on your pontoon for the maximum number of people and weight the pontoon can safely carry.

Jet ski complaints

The county sheriff office, at 4:38 p.m. on Aug. 4, received a complaint from a lakeshore property owner about jet ski operators coming too close to his dock and shoreline.

In Minnesota, jet ski users must travel at a slow and no-wake speed of five miles per hour or less within 150 feet of the shoreline. This incudes when launching or landing.