Rafters find human remains while floating Flathead River

Rafters discovered human remains in the Flathead River while floating below the Pressentine Bar fishing access site on Monday.

Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino said the remains were found in the Addison Square area and appeared to have been in the river for a long time. The body was caught on a log that became exposed due to low water levels this summer.

“They will be taken to the Montana State Crime Lab to help determine the identity and hopefully a cause of death,” Heino said. “We’ll need dental records to help determine who the person is.”

Detectives from the sheriff’s office went to investigate after rafters spotted the remains and called 911, Heino said. A team of anthropologists from the University of Montana arrived on Tuesday to help recover the remains, he said.

Two Bear Air and sheriff’s office boats also responded to the scene.