Press Release – Bulen media release

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Media Release

June 6, 2024

A male was discovered deceased in the Baptism River on May 12th.

On May 12, 2024 at 1144 hours (11:44 am), Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a body found in the Baptism River in Tettegouche State Park.  At 1518 hours (3:18 pm) when Lake County Deputies and Rescue had retrieved the body from the river, the decedent’s identity was unknown.

On May 13, 2024 at approximately 1800 hours (6:00 pm), some clothing and a wallet, belonging to Zachery Bulen of Finland, were located at the base of Illgen Falls north of Tettegouche State Park.  A positive identification was confirmed with fingerprints by the Minnesota BCA.

Agencies assisting the Lake County Sheriff’s Office during this incident were Lake County Rescue, Minnesota DNR, Tettegouche State Park, Silver Bay Police, and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).

At this time, a cause of death has not been determined and the incident is still being investigated.