Body Found in Lake Nokomis After 2-Day Search
Minneapolis emergency crews began searching Lake Nokomis on Monday after getting a report of a woman in a mental health crisis.
Park Police and Hennepin County sheriff’s deputies began responding shortly after 2 p.m., focusing their efforts both on land and water.
Water Patrol crews launched boats on the lake, while Park Police and drone operators joined a Northstar Search & Rescue K-9 team to check wooded areas and trails.
Behavioral Crisis Response staff had been in contact with the woman before she disappeared and her belongings were later found along the shoreline near the south end of the lake, according to initial radio dispatches. Firefighters and EMS were staged at the boat launch as the search expanded.
> Sign up for the MN CRIME newsletter
The operation continued into Tuesday, Aug. 19, with Hennepin County Water Patrol returning to the lake alongside Park Police and rescue teams. At about 2 p.m., deputies located a body in the lake, authorities confirmed late Tuesday afternoon.
HCSO confirmed the discovery in a written statement, noting that both land and water searches were carried out with multiple agencies:
“The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, along with Minneapolis Park Police and Northstar Search & Rescue, worked together to search both on land and in the water. We extend our condolences to family, friends, and all those affected by this tragedy,” the HCSO statement read.
READ MORE > Minneapolis coverage
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner is expected to identify the woman and determine her cause of death in the coming days. Authorities have not yet released further details on the incident.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
> See more of our latest coverage
Follow on X or YouTube for more
> Help make MN safer with real-time alerts, LIVE video, 24/7 Safety Agents & much more: Download Citizen now