Fish Lake became the center of a massive search effort this past week after a local teenager went missing. Stanley Lang was just out for a late-evening kayak trip when he disappeared beneath the surface. It is the kind of news that stops a small town like New Auburn right in its tracks.
The authorities got the first calls about a potential drowning late on Saturday night. Sheriff Phil Grassmann and his team realized quickly that they were looking for a 19-year-old who had been out on the water alone. With the sun down and the water cold, the tension at the scene was incredibly high from the very start.
Investigators believe Stanley was likely fishing from his kayak before the incident occurred. He was a familiar face in the area and someone who loved being active and involved. To see a solo outing end this way is a tough pill for the local outdoors community to swallow.
Rescuers didn’t give up easily and worked through the weekend to find him. Several different departments joined forces to scan the lake and the surrounding shoreline. They spent hours on the water, hoping to bring some kind of closure to a family that was waiting desperately for answers.
By Monday afternoon, the search reached its somber conclusion. Teams recovered the body of the UW-Stout student about two days after he was first reported missing. The official word came out that it was indeed Stanley, ending the search but starting a long period of mourning for his peers.
Those who went to school with him remember him as a guy who was involved in everything. From community volunteer work to local sports, he was the kind of person who defined what it meant to be a New Auburn graduate. He wasn’t just a student; he was a staple of the local 4-H and FFA chapters.
While the medical examiner finishes the official report, the community is rallying around the Lang family. The focus has shifted from the search at the lake to supporting a family dealing with a sudden and deep loss. Stanley’s legacy is being remembered through the many lives he touched with his kindness and his constant willingness to lend a hand.
