Authorities search for missing ultralight aircraft pilot Denny Pechacek, last seen flying near North Shore
UPDATE (Aug. 24, 2023): Denny Pechacek's body was recovered from Lake Superior. Below is the original story.
COOK COUNTY, Minn. -- Authorities in northern Minnesota are searching for a missing man who was last seen piloting an ultralight plane.
The Cook County Sheriff's Office says Denny Pechacek was last seen Friday after taking off for a flight near the North Shore. He and his plane were last seen in the area of Hammer Road in Hovland.
MORE NEWS: 8 people, including 5 teenage boys, injured in south Minneapolis mass shooting
An aircraft from the Minnesota State Patrol was utilized to begin an air search of the area. Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen says the area Pechacek was last seen makes finding him even more difficult.
"It's very thick. So even with planes flying or helicopters or drones, it's very difficult to see through the leaves," Eliasen said.
Pechacek is originally from the Twin Cities, but has been living up in Cook County for more than two decades.
MORE NEWS: Gustavus women's hockey player killed, 3 players injured in western Minnesota crash
The sheriff's office is asking anyone who may have seen the aircraft to call 218-387-3030 and provide an approximate location and time the plane was seen.
