Authorities have identified the two men found dead at Isle Royale’s South Lake Desor Campground as from Northville.
Photo: View from the Mt. Ojibway fire tower on the Greenstone Ridge Trail showing the rugged and dense terrain of Isle Royale. Photo by Doug Marrin.
The two men found dead earlier this month at a remote campsite on Isle Royale have been identified as John Baird, 60, and his son, Bradley Baird, 30, both residents of Northville, Michigan. Their identities were confirmed through death certificates obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel from the Keweenaw County Clerk & Register of Deeds.
The pair were discovered on June 8 at South Lake Desor Campground, deep within Isle Royale National Park, after fellow campers reported disturbing screams and threats echoing through the forest two nights earlier. One group, fearing for their safety, hiked out of the campground at night to reach higher ground with cell service and placed a 911 call. Rangers responded with an 11-mile overnight hike to reach the site. The bodies were later airlifted from the area due to its inaccessibility.
The cause of death for both men remains officially listed as “pending law enforcement investigation,” but Keweenaw County Medical Examiner Dr. Michael McAllister told MLive last week that the deaths are suspected to be a murder-suicide. The FBI and National Park Service are continuing their investigation.
According to official documents, John Baird was president of Admitted Carriers, an insurance firm, and Bradley Baird was a self-employed writer. Both were longtime residents of Northville.
A Local Tragedy in a Remote Wilderness
The incident has raised broader concerns about safety and emergency response in America’s more isolated national parks. Although Isle Royale is a designated wilderness area, the events have highlighted just how truly remote and unsupported parts of the park are for those in crisis.
The timeline of the emergency response has drawn scrutiny. The first 911 call was placed late on the night of June 6 by a camper who hiked out of South Lake Desor after hearing violent threats and disturbing sounds. Yet, it wasn’t until June 8, roughly 40 hours later, that the National Park Service received additional emergency calls and dispatched rangers to the site. They arrived on June 9.
One retired municipal police officer (wishing to remain anonymous) with experience in death investigations and domestic violence cases, who has visited Isle Royale many times, called the delay troubling. He noted that the initial report clearly described an active and potentially dangerous domestic disturbance. While rangers ultimately hiked the 11 miles from Windigo to South Lake Desor in the dark on June 8, he questioned why a response wasn’t launched sooner, at first light on June 7, or even by floatplane, which has previously been used to access the island. In any local jurisdiction, he argued, a 40-hour delay following such a report would provoke significant public outcry.
Isle Royale is an archipelago in Lake Superior, about 15 miles from the nearest mainland shores of Minnesota and Canada. The island is only accessible by ferry or seaplane and has no roads, cell service, or emergency infrastructure within its backcountry. Once visitors arrive, they are expected to be self-reliant. The park is closed for nearly half the year due to extreme winter conditions and sees far fewer visitors than most other national parks, contributing both to its mystique and its risks.
South Lake Desor Campground, where the Bairds were found, is only reachable on foot via the rugged Greenstone Ridge Trail. Campers must carry in all their supplies, navigate dense forests and rocky terrain, and hike long distances between water sources and shelters. The campground has no rangers stationed nearby, no communication towers, and no first aid support.
As of now, federal investigators have not released further details about the Baird case, and the exact circumstances leading up to the tragedy remain unclear.
8123 Main St Suite 200 Dexter, MI 48130
