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Towboats Save Paddlers from Wildfire | Duluth News
When the Camp Fire roared toward Ely, the U.S. Forest Service turned to an unlikely hero: local towboat outfitters. Normally barred from much of the Boundary Waters, these operators—like Willy Vosburgh and Dave Sebesta—were granted emergency access to evacuate dozens of stranded paddlers from Basswood Lake. With smoke rising and aircraft battling flames, the outfitters shuttled people out, leaving gear behind to save lives. Rangers scrambled, but it was the outfitters’ local expertise and specialized boats that made the difference. As night fell, they coordinated rescues for groups like Boy…
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