Image via NPS A Minnesota park ranger didn't intend to lay down his life when he responded to a distress call of a trapped family. But rarely do heroes know when they're called. The park ranger died trying to save three people trapped on a lake Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota on Sunday,

DULUTH — Park ranger Kevin Grossheim, a “true public servant” who could’ve retired but hadn’t yet, died Sunday afternoon while attempting to rescue a Wisconsin family stranded on an island in Voyageurs National Park while 8-foot waves rolled across Namakan Lake.

The ranger - 55-year-old Kevin Grossheim - had a family of three in his boat and was towing their craft to the mainland in brutal conditions when they capsized.