Local officials preach caution for area boaters, swimmers

There are many areas of the Kootenai River that may appear calm and even harmless.

But to those who know the river best, it’s anything but a benign waterway.

In the wake of a 40-year-old Moyie Springs, Idaho woman’s drowning death in the river near China Rapids June 26, Lincoln County Sheriff Darren Short published a personal warning on the department’s Facebook page.

“I want to personally warn you about how dangerous the Kootenai River is. This river has swift, meandering, falling, swirling and pooling currents along with severe undertows,” Short said. “Every year, the Kootenai River claims victims.

“I do not want YOU to be the next victim.”

Short asked those recreating on or near the river to stay back from the edge of the river and watch where they step.

“The rocks can be slippery and icy. If you must swim or float the river, wear a life jacket,” Short said. “And for emergencies, dial or text 911.”

Short, himself an experienced diver and member of David Thompson Search and Rescue, said in a previous interview with The Western News, he only dives in the river when it’s absolutely necessary.

He also urged recreationists to be cautious around the falls. Steep stretches of shale along the northern bank can be especially treacherous. Swimmers should never approach the falls as strong undercurrents, unseen from the surface, are common in that stretch of the river.

Many of Montana’s waterways are fed by glaciers or high-mountain snowpack that keep water temperatures in the 50s or lower. 

For the Kootenai River, its flow is regulated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the water temperatures typically remains in the low 50s.

In an effort to alert people to water safety awareness, the Corp has been posting briefs about drowning victims that occurred over the years.

Corps officials recommend wearing a properly-fitted life jacket, encouraging others to wear life jackets, not drinking while on the water, boating with consideration for others and to avoid swimming and boating alone.

The American Canoe Association offers a training program that can be taken online using a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer.

It can be found at https://americancanoe.org/education/resource-library/paddlesports-online-course/.

According to the United States Coast Guard, the use of alcohol is involved in about a third of all recreational boating fatalities. Montana lakes and rivers have already claimed the lives of eight people in less than four weeks, according to various law enforcement agencies. The majority were in western Montana.

In addition to Jessica Prado’s death here in the Kootenai, 26-year-old Gillian Tones from North Apollo, Pennsylvania, slipped on wet, slick rocks and fell into Virginia Creek between St. Mary and Virginia Falls in Glacier National Park on June 23. She drowned after being pinned under a log.

A day later, 76-year-old West Virginian Roger Lee Booth died after he was thrown from a raft while fishing on the Bitterroot River, according to krtv.com. The raft hit a bridge support pillar and overturned.

A fugitive from North Carolina, Steven Jeffrey O’Shields, drowned in the North Fork Flathead River June 21 while fleeing from Flathead County law officers. 

In Lake County, 36-year-old Chad Hansen of Missoula, drowned June 28 in Flathead Lake. His body was recovered July 3 by divers from Missoula and Flathead counties.

July 6, two men drowned in separate incidents in Glacier National Park. A 26-year-old man from India was hiking past the gorge on Avalanche Lake Trail when he went into the creek and was swept into the gorge. Later that day, a 28-year old man from Nepal was swimming with friends in Lake McDonald near Sprague Creek Campground. Friends said the man was an inexperienced swimmer. He was about 30 yards from shore when he began to struggle, went underwater, and never resurfaced.

Another death occurred on the Missouri River near Craig on June 20 when a 71-year-old man went overboard trying to retrieve an oar. He was pulled back into the boat, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

A ninth victim, 17-year-old Great Falls resident Kendall Danna, drowned June 16 on Lake Elwell in Toole County, while paddle boarding with friends when strong winds kicked up, sending them into the water. Her body was recovered July 11.