RedactedNarrative: Two men were camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. They had rented a canoe and stayed on Loon Lake. The second day, they were met by the U.S. Forest Service and advised of park closures due to wildfire activity in the area. They used the satellite phone to contact the outfitters they had rented from to let them know they were going to alter their travel towards another lake due to the fire. They packed up camp and began to cross Loon Lake. About a half hour into their paddling, they began to hear distant thunder, and the wind and rain began to pick up from the approaching storm. They stopped at a point on the lake briefly to put on rain jackets. Neither of them were wearing life jackets. They picked another point to paddle toward and continued on. The approaching thunderstorm "sounded like a freight train" and the wind and waves picked up very quickly. The waves were estimated to be in excess of two feet high. The rain was coming down so hard they couldn't communicate with each other. They turned the canoe to the east to go toward shore. The wind was coming from the north and as they turned, the canoe caught a large wave and capsized. The passenger grabbed two floating bags and swam toward shore, which was about 60 yards away. The operator stayed with the canoe, holding on to the side of it. When the passenger reached shore, he looked back and did not see the operator anywhere. He set up a tarp and used the satellite phone to call the outfitters to get help. Multiple resources arrived on scene and after a search of the area, the County ROV Team was requested. The operator's body was recovered at 1539 hours. There were life jackets in the canoe but they were not being worn. Alcohol was not a factor. The passenger was not injured.