The investigation continues tonight on the whereabouts of a missing kayaker last known to be on the waters of Lake Superior.
Despite a weekend of searching through unfavorable conditions, efforts to locate the missing Milwaukee man were unsuccessful.
As LeAnn Wallace reports, new evidence has authorities trying to piece together what may have happened.
New developments have surfaced in the search for 48–year old Douglas Winter, who has been missing since last Tuesday when his kayak was found a few miles south of Split Rock Light House.
The Lake County Sheriff's Department received a call Monday that a party from the Twin Cities found a GPS unit while visiting the North shore over the weekend.
"It sounds like it belonged to Doug Winter and I'm not sure how, if his name was on it or if they were able to get it with the serial number, on it, but anyway it's been found that that did belong to Douglas Winter," says Sheriff Carey Johnson.
A life jacket was also found near Split Rock Lighthouse on Saturday.
Inside the pockets, authorities found prescription pills with Winter's name on the label.
Officials say he had been staying at the Cove Point Lodge in Beaver Bay.
They say Winter recently sent a letter and cash to his sister on Cove Point Lodge Stationary.
Although what may have happened to Winter that day is still unknown...Kayaking experts say October weather on Lake Superior can pose some dangerous challenges for kayakers.
"October, probably late September, October and early November, is a time of seasonal change and so the wind can be very erratic during that time of year and so I'd say those three months are kind of the most difficult to gage what the conditions will be like," says Pat Kohlin, Sea Kayak Supervisor at the University of Minnesota Duluth.
The Lake County Sheriff's Department says his friends and family considered him an experienced kayaker who loved the water.
Winter is listed as a middle school teacher but according to the Milwaukee School District he took a leave of absence in October.
Lake County Investigators are currently reviewing surveillance tapes at the Cove Point Lodge to see if they can put together a time table of Winter's whereabouts.
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