Man dies while hiking in northern Minnesota

A man has died while on a hiking trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, authorities said.

Rescue personnel responded to a call about an unspecified medical emergency about 6:30 p.m. Monday south of Loon Lake, between International Falls and Ely near the Canadian border.

Lt. Kurt Erickson of the St. Louis County Rescue Squad said it took emergency responders about eight hours to reach the area where the man had been hiking since Friday.

"There were three of them up there. One gentleman became ill, ended up becoming comatose," Erickson said. "One of the other two stayed with him, the third one hiked out to the Echo Trail, and then drove down the Echo Trail to where he was able to get cell signal and call for help."

More than 25 rescue personnel responded. They traveled by boat and on foot as snow fell in the dark to reach the man, who was 27. But the man was dead when they arrived, Erickson said.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office and medical examiner are investigating.