Daniel Maleska

On Friday, May 15, 1987, 32-year-old Daniel Maleska left his home in Princeton, Minnesota, to travel about three hours north to Gunn Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. That weekend, Dan, his brother Mike, and several other longtime friends planned a camping trip for the opening of fishing season. Dan and Mike were raised as avid outdoorsmen, and opening weekend was a big deal. While this was their first time visiting Gunn Lake, this annual trip was something they looked forward to all year. The area where the men were camping was very rural and densely wooded. It wasn't a campground with amenities; they were roughing it, but that was how Dan and his buddies liked it. The men set up camp, spent many hours fishing on the lake, drank some beers, and seemed to be having a great time. However, by Sunday morning, Dan had vanished. They found a canoe in the water with some of his fishing supplies still inside. It looked like he had been plucked from that boat, leaving his items undisturbed. Despite extensive searches of the lake and surrounding wilderness, no trace of Dan Maleska has ever surfaced. The circumstances have left his loved ones to wonder if the scene was staged and Dan planned to disappear. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Dan Maleska, please call the Itasca County Sheriff's Office at (218) 326-3477. This episode was sponsored by: GoodRX- For big savings on your everyday prescriptions, go toGoodrx.com/vanished.  Audible- Visit Audible.com/MIA or text MIA to 500-500 to try Audible free for 30 days. Zbiotics- Go to Zbiotics.com/VANISHED to get 15% off your first order when you use code VANISHED at checkout. Doordash- Our listeners can get 50% off, up to a $10 value when you spend $15 or more. Download the Doordash App and enter code VANISHEDHOLIDAY. If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form. Follow The Vanished on social media at: Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.