> "Recently while patrolling for goose and teal hunters CO Andrew Dirks (Worthington) came across an unusual sight, a man carrying a canoe down a quiet country road. While in most parts of MN this may seem insignificant, but Dirks knew that they were roughly 10 miles from the nearest body of water. Quite the portage for even the hardiest of paddlers.
> "Dirks stated that curiosity got the better of him and stopped and spoke with the traveller. Dirks learned that Evan Hansen was on a mission. Hansen noted that he was carrying his canoe from the SD/MN border to WI to raise awareness for suicide prevention [his original goal was to portage the entire 300+ miles of the superior hiking trail but had to adjust due to wildfires].
> "Hansen noted that his travels through southwest MN had initiated numerous contacts, with many names of those lost to suicide being added to his canoe. During the contact CO Dirks was invited to add Conservation Officer Ed Picht's name to Hansen's canoe as well. Picht died by suicide in 2018 and is missed by many."
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK(8255)
- MN Crisis Text Line: Text "MN" to 741741
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