Grace Zeller, MN DNR pilot

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Enforcement Division recently recognized four conservation officers, a natural resources pilot, and a Forestry Division staff person for their lifesaving efforts during the previous several months.

Recognized were Natural Resources Pilot Grace Zeller, conservation officers Mike Cross, Tyler Lusignan, Curtis Simonson, and Brice Vollbrecht, and Matt Boyer of the Forestry Division.

“Each of these individuals went above and beyond the call of duty to help people when they needed it the most,” said Col. Rodmen Smith, director of the DNR Enforcement Division. “It’s an honor to present these awards to people so committed to putting others’ needs ahead of their own.”

Natural Resources Pilot Grace Zeller

On the evening of Saturday, May 18 while she was off-duty, Zeller – a natural resources pilot in the DNR Enforcement Division – received a phone call from DNR Enforcement Chief Pilot Capt. Jake Willis. There was a report of people injured and missing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness near Curtain Falls along the Canadian border, and other air assets were not available to attempt a rescue.

Zeller responded in a helicopter immediately, coordinating with medical, law enforcement, and rescue staff at the scene. She landed at a remote location in the dark, located an area without hazards, and over the course of two flights, transported three medics and two severely wounded individuals to the Ely Airport. Two men died in the incident that precipitated Zeller’s rescue effort, but her efforts were instrumental in the survival of two other men – Kyle Sellers and Erik Grams, who both live near the Twin Cities.

“It could have been a lot worse situation,” Grams said last month during a ceremony in Brainerd, where Zellers received the award and met with the victims and their families. “It was already bad enough, but things could have spiraled from there. We’re very fortunate for the rescue effort from everyone involved, especially Grace.”

Conservation officers Mike Cross and Curtis Simonson

COs Mike Cross and Curtis Simonson were first on the scene of a serious single-vehicle accident with injuries that occurred March 18, in Koochiching County. The two removed the victim from the vehicle, which was extensively damaged, and began lifesaving efforts. At the time, the victim was not breathing, had no pulse, and was unconscious. Cross, a trained emergency medical technician, began CPR and using an automated external defibrillator.

An ambulance arrived and brought the victim to the hospital. While he died the next day, Cross and Simonson’s efforts were instrumental in ensuring the man’s family had an opportunity to see their loved one before he passed.

Conservation Officer Tyler Lusignan

On May 27, CO Tyler Lusignan heard a radio call that several people were trapped in rushing water after their canoes and kayaks had overturned in the Cannon River near Faribault. He was the first law enforcement officer to arrive with a boat, and quickly launched it so he and a Rice County Sheriff’s Office deputy could attempt to assist the stranded paddlers. The water was high and moving extremely fast, but Lusignan maneuvered the boat such that he could rescue and bring to shore the three adults and three children whose watercrafts had overturned.

Conservation Officer Brice Vollbrecht and Forestry officer Matt Boyer

CO Brice Vollbrecht and Matt Boyer, a Forestry officer in training, were patrolling Blackduck Lake when Vollbrecht received a call from Minnesota State Patrol Dispatch about a water emergency on the lake.

Vollbrecht motored across the lake and eventually located an overturned boat with four individuals clinging to it. Two of the people indicated they were fine, while the other two said they were cold – the water was 60 degrees – and one was having trouble breathing. Vollbrecht and Boyer helped the individuals into Vollbrecht’s boat, then transported them to an ambulance waiting on shore.