Searchers recover missing woman's body from Kootenai River

The search for a woman missing in the Kootenai River near Libby came to a sad ending Sunday morning.

Lincoln County Sheriff Darren Short told The Western News searchers from David Thompson Search and Rescue and the sheriff's department found the body of Jessica Prado at 8:45 a.m.

Prado, a 40-year-old resident of Moyie Springs, Idaho, was missing since Wednesday evening after a two-person kayak she and companion Jared Satterlund, 42, who recently moved to Libby, were in capsized just below China Rapids.

Members of David Thompson SAR and the county sheriff’s office combed the river and its banks for three full days and parts of two others before making the tragic find. Short said Prado was found in an eddy in water 15 feet deep. He said there were no indications of trauma or injury to her and that her death is presumed to be a drowning.

Satterlund was not injured in the incident.

Short said the two people were kayaking different sections of the river in the days prior to Wednesday’s incident. He also said they were not wearing life vests.

"I would like to thank David Thompson Search and Rescue and Two Bear Air Rescue for all of their efforts in the search and recovery," Short said in a press release.

Short urged caution to people using the river and recommended wearing a personal flotation device. Water temperatures are in the low 50s, the currents are strong and many obstructions such as boulders and trees can trap people.

“The Kootenai River has claimed many lives over the years,” Short said. “It has dangerous undertows which can catch people unaware and lead to a life-threatening situation.”

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.

The woman’s death in the river is the first since 2021 when a 17-year-old boy fell off a cliff while riding his bike on a trail above Kootenai Falls.

A 50-year-old man kayaking the Yaak River died in early May 2022 when he fell out of the boat while running the waterway with friends. The man’s body was eventually found in the Kootenai River.

Short said searchers used everything in their means to locate Prado.

In addition to dogs and a drone, underwater camera equipment was used to aid in the hunt for woman.

Also, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held back water at Libby Dam to lower water levels on the river to assist searchers.

According to a press release from the sheriff's office, dispatch received a call at about 7:58 p.m. Wednesday for Prado. She and Jared Satterlund were kayaking above Kootenai Falls when they began having problems.

Satterlund tried to help Prado, but he last saw her struggling in an eddy in the river before losing sight of her.

They had made arrangements to be picked up above Kootenai Falls.

A dog that accompanied them was also able to get out of the river along with Satterlund.

The hunt for the woman began quickly. Searchers eventually found a cooler near the shore above Kootenai Falls and the damaged kayak and other property were recovered below the falls.

Flathead Valley’s Two Bear Air Rescue also responded to assist with the initial search.