LAKE CITY, Minn. — Two of the boaters who died in a late-night collision on Lake Pepin over the weekend were off-duty firefighters from Wabasha, according to Lake City Mayor Brian Quinn. The mayor deferred to Pepin County Sheriff Joel Wener in Wisconsin on releaseing the names. Wener is leading the investigation because the accident occurred on the Wisconsin side of the 24-square mile lake. Wener has not released names of either the three who died or of the three others who survived. The usual custom in policing is to withhold names until next of kin are notified but not more than 24 hours, which affords authorities plenty of time to make contact. It was believed the people on the capsized pontoon boat had set out from Lake City, which has the largest marinas on Lake Pepin. The firefighters’ homes, in Wabasha , is 12 miles away at Lake Pepin’s outlet on the Minnesota side.
