Fergus Falls man drowns after falling into Otter Tail Lake

OTTER TAIL, Minn. (KVRR) — The Otter Tail Sheriff’s Office says a man drowned in Otter Tail Lake after falling from a pontoon into the water.

David Kantrud, 63, of Fergus Falls, was on a pontoon with family around 2:30 Saturday afternoon when the man fell in an attempt to retrieve an item from the lake.

People on a nearby pontoon assisted in recovering Kantrud.

Within minutes, the Otter Tail County water patrol arrived and assisted with an AED and CPR until they arrived on shore.

Resuscitation efforts were ultimately unsuccessful and Kantrud was pronounced dead on the scene. Kantrud was not wearing a life jacket.