Lonnie Ray Norberg, 44, of Champlin, Minn., and Jeffrey Edward Wheeler, 35, also of Champlin, died from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in a boat on Lake of the Woods late Sunday night, according to preliminary autopsy results from the county sheriff's office.
The investigation indicates that a faulty exhaust system may be the cause of high levels of carbon monoxide, according to Sheriff Gary Fish.
A third man, Christopher Andrew Klick, 43, of Crystal, Minn., survived the accident and remains hospitalized at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks.
The Lake of the Woods County Sheriff's Office has been investigating the deaths of the two men.
The incident was reported at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday near Birch Beach, north of Williams, Minn., according to the Sheriff's Department.
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Once they arrived on the scene, authorities discovered the bodies of Norberg and Wheeler. Klick was transported by Lake of the Woods Ambulance to LakeWood Health Center in Baudette, Minn.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension continues to assist with the investigation.
