It took more than four-dozen emergency services people and 12 hours to rescue a Minnesota man from the St. Croix River near Grantsburg. Martin Reich of Pine City, Minnesota was suffering chest pains as he was tubing with friends from Danbury Monday night. Grantsburg Police Chief Tim Harmon says there was little they could do, because the 39 year-old Reich is estimated to weigh more than 500 pounds. Because of his weight and the shallowness of the St.Croix, a conventional boat and a Hovercraft were unable to send Reich up or down the river. A Coast Guard helicopter from Michigan was on its way to the scene when rescue workers were finally able to get Reich to a place where he could be put in an ambulance and taken to a Grantsburg hospital for evaluation. Reich could be seen smiling and joking with the ambulance crew as he left the scene.
