Couple with canoe found dead in BWCA

The bodies of two people were found near their capsized canoe in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on October 7, according to the Associated Press. The Cook County sheriff's office said the victims were Thomas Pineault, 55, and Cynthia Pineault, 51, of Forest Lake, Minnesota.

Both were wearing life jackets when their bodies and capsized canoe were found on Alton Lake by two other passing canoeists who reported their discovery to Sawbill Outfitters, the sheriff's office said.

The Cook County Sheriff's Office, Cook County Search and Rescue, State Patrol, U.S. Forest Service and Sawbill Outfitters all played a role in extracting the bodies from the wilderness.

Officials estimate the bodies were in the water for about 24 hours before being found. The sheriff's office said autopsies will be performed at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.