Woman rescued from capsized boat on Eagle Lake has died

Ruth Matteson, 70, of Bertha, died after being injured when a paddle boat capsized on Eagle Lake on Oct. 2, according to the Becker County Sheriff’s Office. The agency said Wednesday that the family informed it of her death. The investigation remains ongoing. Around 7:37 p.m., deputies received a report of a capsizing near the access southwest of Frazee, with three people in the water. The boat flipped, and one occupant reached shore while three remained in the lake. A deputy sergeant in a life jacket swam out and brought Matteson to shore, but she became unresponsive and was airlifted to a Fargo hospital. Two other occupants, Dustin Strobel, 43, and Melodie Pope, 46, were taken to Essentia Health - St. Mary’s in Detroit Lakes with injuries believed non-life-threatening; Cindy Steuck, 41, had no apparent injuries. Initial findings indicate the paddle boat began taking on water on the way back to the access, creating instability and flipping it.