Boat flipped onto Polson City Dock

By Ali Bronsdon / Leader Staff

A 31-year-old Ronan resident was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Polson after he flipped his small pleasure boat onto the Polson City Dock around 2:14 a.m. Sunday. There were no passengers on the boat and the driver was released that morning with minor injuries. The accident is currently under investigation by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in cooperation with Lake County and Polson City authorities, said John Fraley with FWP in Kalispell.

According to Fire Chief John Fairchild, the man said he was headed from Raleigh's Bar and Grill to "S & K Marina" when he received a call from his girlfriend who was at the Salish Bar. He turned his boat around and just barely clipped the dock, which sent the boat souring and eventually landing upside-down on the pier.

"He had to be going pretty fast because if he was just kind of putting around, he would have hit the dock and stayed there," Fairchild said. "I would guess he went 25 to 30 feet in the air."

Polson Police Chief Doug Chase said that his officer, Devon Waddell, was on bike patrol at the Salish when the accident occurred.

"She and another officer heard what sounded like a dumpster running down a hill and dumping over," he said. "She responded down toward the city dock thinking that maybe some vandals had tipped the dumpster over. In the meantime, Sergeant Wade Nash heard her call about something going on at the bottom of the ramp. When he arrived, the two quickly ascertained (through the yelling of three or four citizens) that a boat had hit the city dock a the point of the "L"."

According to Chase, the officers ran onto the dock to investigate the incident, which was impossible to see from shore in the dark. One of the parties, an unidentified male from Missoula, jumped off near where the boat had flipped and swam to the man who was allegedly face-down in the water. Officers Waddell, David Vaughn and Sergeant Wade Nash helped pull the injured party out of the water and he eventually walked to shore with the fire chief. He had a significant gash on one of his forearms and a cut on his face.

Lake County Search and Rescue water craft and fire personnel manned the boat, picking up debris or anything else that may have been missed. There was a fairly significant amount of gas spilled, Chase said.

Car drove into lake near dog park

As authorities worked to clean up the boat accident at Polson City Dock, they heard a second accident occur.

According to the initial police report, at approximately 3:46 a.m. Sunday, an out-of-control vehicle traveling northbound on Kerr Dam Road failed to make the turn onto Seventh Ave., hit the curb and continued over a 150-foot slope, landing in the lake about 10 feet out from shore.

Polson Fire was the first on the scene with local law enforcement right behind. Police Chief Doug Chase said responding officers couldn't see the driver in the dark, so Lake County Search and Rescue water craft responded and was able to secure the individual who was sitting on the top of his car when they arrived. The LCSAR team transported the man to Riverside Park where Polson Ambulance was waiting to transport him to St. Joe's. Charges are pending awaiting lab results on a blood test.

"I was told when I got to the scene that the gentleman would possibly be processed for DUI," Fire Chief John Fairchild said. "He took out one of the corner signs, clipped a tree and it looked like he rolled [the vehicle] at least once before entering the water. It was submerged to about the fender well area — a good eight to 10 feet into the river. We have been very fortunate. That could have been a fatal accident as well as the boat incident, which could have been a fatal too."