Excelsior's Person of the Year Rescues Stranded Paddle Boarder on Lake Minnetonka

An afternoon of stand-up paddle boarding with friends on Lake Minnetonka turned into a rescue mission for one Excelsior woman Tuesday.

“The water was calm for most of the day, but all of a sudden it got really windy and rocky,” Myra Wang said. “There were a group of girls who were out that I guess had never done it before, and one of the girls got disorientated and couldn’t tell where she was supposed to be. She was paddling non-stop and was just exhausted.”

Wang, who considers herself an experienced stand-up paddle boarder who gets out on Lake Minnetonka about once a week, could clearly see the woman was in need of assistance.

“She just couldn’t do it anymore,” Wang said. “I offered to pull her in because she was just so tired from non-stop paddling. She tried yelling for help, but she said the wind kept carrying her voice away from her friends.”

Wang told the woman to grab a hold of her board and began paddling the pair toward shore.

“The wind was so strong,” Wang said. “I was paddling non-stop, but we weren’t going anywhere. Once I got us past the (St. Albans) bridge it got better, and that’s when the rescue boat came.”

A group watching nearby saw Wang towing the woman and alerted staff at Tommy’s Tonka Trolley—who quickly launched the motorboat. The crew took Wang’s “passenger,” and Wang paddled herself to the Excelsior Commons.

Once on land, Wang and the embarrassed woman chatted and managed to chuckle about their experience.

Wang, who was recognized in April by the Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Chamber of Commerce as the 2013 Person of the Year, joked with a friend that she’d now officially earned the honor—at which time the recently rescued woman paid her a heartwarming compliment.

“She told me I was her person of the year,” Wang said. “I told her not to be embarrassed. I’m out here all the time, and it was hard for me. It was her first time, and I didn’t want her to get discouraged or think paddle boarding is a horrible sport. We just happened to hit a bad bunch of wind.”

Wang went on to say that conditions on Lake Minnetonka can change rapidly, adding this season has been particularly unpredictable.

“The wind can pick up very quickly,” she said. “Last week and this week I had to be on my knees most of the time because of the white caps. I fell, and I rarely ever fall. This time it was totally fine until the end when we were trying to get back—that’s when the wind got ridiculous.”

As for advice for those thinking of trying stand up paddle boarding, Wang offered some advice for inexperienced and first-time stand up paddle boarders.

“I definitely wouldn’t want anyone to ever be discouraged about trying paddle boarding,” Wang said. “Lake Minnetonka can be difficult to navigate and know where you are unless you really know the area. I try to stay where I’m familiar. Unless you’re experienced, I wouldn’t go by yourself—especially if it’s your first time.”

Myra Wang is a Certified Massage Therapist and an employee at Patisserie Margo in Excelsior, as well as board Secretary of the Excelsior–Lake Minnetonka Chamber and Chamber Membership specialist.