Man's body recovered from Middle Thompson Lake

A Missoula man’s body was recovered Thursday morning, weeks after he fell from a boat into the water at Middle Thompson Lake.

Anthony Joseph Bachman, 62, is presumed to have drowned at around 6:10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16 after falling from the bow of a moving pontoon boat. After Bachman fell off the boat, an emergency call was placed to county dispatch within 15 minutes. The boaters looked for Bachman to no avail.

Deputy Brandon Huff, search and rescue coordinator at the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, reported that dog teams from David Thompson Search and Rescue had multiple alerts that correlated with the point where Bachman was last seen on Middle Thompson Lake, according to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office.

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office responded with a technician and a remotely operated vehicle. The body was found in about 75 feet of water. Divers from David Thompson Search and Rescue and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office recovered the body.  

Sheriff Roby Bowe said initial indicators that alcohol consumption was a contributor to the accident are still accurate.