ST. CLOUD — A man is dead after trying to get back on his personal watercraft on a northern Minnesota lake.

The incident occurred Tuesday afternoon on Lake Vermilion about 30 miles west of Ely.

According to the sheriff’s office, a resident saw 58-year-old Darrell Pfannenstein of St. Joseph in the water and struggling to get back on his personal watercraft. Pfannenstein wasn’t wearing a life jacket.

The resident offered to help him but Pfannenstein declined. He started walking to shore and fell facedown. Medical personnel who responded to the scene couldn’t revive him.

The cause of death is still under investigation.