Found Deceased MN - Jacob Michael Lavoie, 21, UMD student, Canal Park, Duluth, 31 Aug 2019

[MinnesotaMandy]

Sheriff: Body Of Missing Duluth Student Jacob Lavoie Found Near Canal Park

 

[Dre]

Noooo!!!! I am so sad to hear this news.
Can’t even imagine what his family is going through. I wish them healing and closure

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Tony Bronson, the director of business development for the Grandma’s Restaurant Company, said safety is a top priority in their establishments.

“We haven’t had a missing person like this before. We try to be very conscious of having a safe environment in all of our establishments. On busy night club nights we make sure we have Duluth police officers at the front door helping to card and in making good judgments of people as they’re coming in,” Bronson said Thursday.

Bronson added that at the end of night when people are leaving, they are checking for people who may be struggling and try to pair them up with a friend and make sure they get a safe ride home.

Bronson said some of the Sports Garden staff who work on the busy nights are students from the Fond du Lac Law Enforcement program and know to look for that.

UMD sent an email to the campus informing them about Lavoie's disappearance Thursday.

“The Bark” has also been keeping the campus informed. Benz added that a lot of students weren’t aware of the situation until Thursday.
"We are Devastated": Family Reacts to Possible Body of Missing Student Found

 

[human]

I don't think he fell off the bridge. Maybe he opened a gate to one of the docks or walked between a gap in the fences MOO.

JMO-This type of accident in Canal Park is very rare for a college town with a lot of drunk students and tourists.

Why would he do that?

Is going across that bridge on the way home? Why would he go there?

He could go straight up the street, north. No water there.

Why would he walk that way?

 

[YoIci]

Why would he do that?

Is going across that bridge on the way home? Why would he go there?

He could go straight up the street, north. No water there.

Why would he walk that way?

"The preliminary cause of death is drowning," the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office reported Monday after conducting an autopsy. "Toxicology is pending."

"Rescue and recovery crews narrowed their search to the Minnesota Slip after Duluth police received a “solid citizen tip” on Thursday from a witness, according to St. Louis County Undersheriff Dave Phillips.

According to the caller, one or more witnesses spotted a man matching Lavoie’s description exit The Suites Hotel in Canal Park through a rear entrance on the night Lavoie was last seen.

The back of the hotel runs along the Minnesota Slip, with a parking lot and walkway in between, and boats are moored along the slip behind the hotel.

Phillips said the witness or witnesses initially followed the man, the caller told police, but he climbed a fence to reach a closed-access section of the boardwalk along the slip. The witness(es) saw the man jump onto a sailboat and jump off again before losing sight of him.

Crews initially searched Lake Superior’s waters off Canal Park as well, but after the tip was received, the St. Louis County Rescue Squad brought in cadaver dogs to search the slip, and the dogs immediately hit on a scent near where the caller described seeing the man, Phillips said.

The Rescue Squad searched the slip using side-scan sonar before deploying a remotely operated vehicle to search below the surface.

Lavoie’s body was found the next afternoon, Sept. 6, about 10 feet below the surface on the slip’s floor. There were no initial signs of foul play, Phillips said."

Drowning cited as cause of UMD student's death | Duluth News Tribune

 

[YoIci]

"A site has been set up for Lavoie's family at .com/f/jacob-lavoie-fund."

Drowning cited as cause of UMD student's death | Duluth News Tribune

 

[PayrollNerd]

Cameras at the hotel should have picked him up. Someone at the hotel should know why he was there, who was he with, was he at the hotel bar, etc.

“According to the caller, one or more witnesses spotted a man matching Lavoie’s description exit The Suites Hotel in Canal Park through a rear entrance on the night Lavoie was last seen.”

 

[Inthedetails]

"The preliminary cause of death is drowning," the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office reported Monday after conducting an autopsy. "Toxicology is pending."

"Rescue and recovery crews narrowed their search to the Minnesota Slip after Duluth police received a “solid citizen tip” on Thursday from a witness, according to St. Louis County Undersheriff Dave Phillips.

According to the caller, one or more witnesses spotted a man matching Lavoie’s description exit The Suites Hotel in Canal Park through a rear entrance on the night Lavoie was last seen.

The back of the hotel runs along the Minnesota Slip, with a parking lot and walkway in between, and boats are moored along the slip behind the hotel.

Phillips said the witness or witnesses initially followed the man, the caller told police, but he climbed a fence to reach a closed-access section of the boardwalk along the slip. The witness(es) saw the man jump onto a sailboat and jump off again before losing sight of him.

Crews initially searched Lake Superior’s waters off Canal Park as well, but after the tip was received, the St. Louis County Rescue Squad brought in cadaver dogs to search the slip, and the dogs immediately hit on a scent near where the caller described seeing the man, Phillips said.

The Rescue Squad searched the slip using side-scan sonar before deploying a remotely operated vehicle to search below the surface.

Lavoie’s body was found the next afternoon, Sept. 6, about 10 feet below the surface on the slip’s floor. There were no initial signs of foul play, Phillips said."

Drowning cited as cause of UMD student's death | Duluth News Tribune

This makes me think accident. For whatever reason, he went down to the water/dock/boats and I think he fell in. After drinking (my assumption he had been drinking at Grandma's), late at night in the dark, freezing cold water (that lake is COLD)...I think he slipped in the lake and couldn't get out.

RIP.

jmo

 

[YoIci]

Cameras at the hotel should have picked him up. Someone at the hotel should know why he was there, who was he with, was he at the hotel bar, etc.

“According to the caller, one or more witnesses spotted a man matching Lavoie’s description exit The Suites Hotel in Canal Park through a rear entrance on the night Lavoie was last seen.”

I have visited Duluth several times. That hotel does not have a bar.

Amenities | The Suites Hotel | Canal Park Hotels | Duluth MN

 

[siliconrod]

According to the caller, one or more witnesses spotted a man matching Lavoie’s description exit The Suites Hotel in Canal Park through a rear entrance on the night Lavoie was last seen.

The back of the hotel runs along the Minnesota Slip, with a parking lot and walkway in between, and boats are moored along the slip behind the hotel.

Phillips said the witness or witnesses initially followed the man, the caller told police, but he climbed a fence to reach a closed-access section of the boardwalk along the slip. The witness(es) saw the man jump onto a sailboat and jump off again before losing sight of him.

Why would the witness/witnesses follow Jacob after he exited the backdoor of the Hotel. Did the witness/witnesses have a prior encounter with Jacob. Was his behavior somewhat erratic after he exited the Hotel. It seems Jacob was determine to enter the slip maybe to enter the water to harm himself or was there another objective. I would assume there were other areas nearby with less barriers to enter the water instead of climbing a fence and jumping onto a boat. I hope the toxicology report will provide some clues as to Jacob's behavior that night. RIP Jacob.

 

[Inthedetails]

I have visited Duluth several times. That hotel does not have a bar.

Amenities | The Suites Hotel | Canal Park Hotels | Duluth MN

But he spent the evening at Grandma's, which does have a bar.

jmo

 

[Inthedetails]

Why would the witness/witnesses follow Jacob after he exited the backdoor of the Hotel. Did the witness/witnesses have a prior encounter with Jacob. Was his behavior somewhat erratic after he exited the Hotel. It seems Jacob was determine to enter the slip maybe to enter the water to harm himself or was there another objective. I would assume there were other areas nearby with less barriers to enter the water instead of climbing a fence and jumping onto a boat. I hope the toxicology report will provide some clues as to Jacob's behavior that night. RIP Jacob.

IDK, but I was picturing a hotel worker bringing out garbage - or something like that - who was the witness. There is no proof of that - just my speculation.

jmo