Carbon monoxide suspected in woman's death on boat in St. Croix River

ST. CROIX COUNTY, Wisc. (KMSP) - The St. Croix sheriff’s office says a 24-year-old woman died from possible carbon monoxide poisoning while aboard a boat over the weekend.

The victim, Ashley Speer, was out on the St. Croix River with Justin Roskos and Hayden Johnson. They were supposed to camp at a beach, but never made it, and attempts to reach them were unsuccessful.

Sunday afternoon the St. Croix County sheriff’s office was called for a welfare check on for the boat, registered to Roskos, that was stopped near the Highline Beach area across from the Xcel Power Plant in Bayport, Minnesota. 

Responders found the three people on board. Roskos and Johnson were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center for treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning. Roskos remains in critical condition, while Johnson is in satisfactory condition. Speer was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Minnesota legislature just passed Sophia's Law, which is named after 7-year-old Sophia Baechler. Sophia died two years ago from Carbon Monoxide poisoning while boating with her family on Lake Minnetonka after an animal chewed through an exhaust pipe under the boat. The law requires marine carbon monoxide detectors on any enclosed motor boat.

However, the law doesn't go into effect until May 2018.

The incident remains under investigation.