Charlo high school student honored as hero after summer boat rescue

BROWN’S LAKE — What started out as a sunny day spent fishing turned into a nightmare for Nick Sinnott when a thunderstorm rolled in at Brown’s Lake last summer.

Sinnott was losing strength fast trying to paddle his raft back to shore, and his 10-year-old daughter was in tears. Her prayers were answered, though, when Brady Weible showed up at the lake, which is located near Ovando.

Weible, a rising senior at Charlo High School, and his family pulled into the camping and boat ramp area just before dark.

Sinnott’s wife frantically asked the Weibles for help, and Brady didn’t hesitate to launch his 19-foot aluminum boat.

“We just went out here and helped him,” Weible said, adding he tied Sinnott’s inflatable raft to his boat and towed him to shore.

“Anybody would’ve done that, I think,” Weible said, shrugging off that his actions were anything out of the ordinary.

But for Sinnott, those actions were possibly life-saving.

Sinnott, who is master sergeant with the U.S. Air Force and based at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, said he’s away from his family a lot and cherishes the moments he spends with them.

“And this was one of those moments when I thought I was going to lose everything,” he said.

It would have taken him an unknown period of time to row to safety, he said. No other campers in the area had a boat big enough to handle the conditions, he added.

Although Weible’s boat handled the waves without any issues, other dangers were present.

“The most dangerous thing was there was thunder and lightening in the area,” said Sinnott, who lost a friend to a lightening strike during his childhood.

“I was pretty darn scared,” he added.

To thank Weible, Sinnott sent a letter and three military coins which were presented to Weible during an end-of-school awards assembly last Wednesday. The coins were given to Sinnott by military veterans and he said he hoped to convey his profound thanks by passing them on to Weible.

Weible said he was surprised by the recognition.

“This is too much. I didn’t deserve this much,” he said.

Sinnott won’t soon forget Weible and his actions and said the encounter makes service to his country even more meaningful than it already is.

“That is so much more worth it when you’ve got folks like him.”