Search and Rescue rescues eight during busy week on the lake

According to a recent Facebook post from Lake County Search and Rescue, the local boat crews have been busy lately, responding to several calls and rescuing eight people.

On Sunday, SAR was dispatched at 12:18 p.m. to respond to a vessel sinking between Wild Horse Island and Melita Island with four people on board, all wearing life jackets. The crew found the boat under tow by another boater and escorted both to a dock near Big Arm.

Last Thursday, July 25, Lake County SAR was dispatched by 911 to help two kayakers north of Wild Horse Island. According to the Facebook post, one boat had capsized, his kayak was swamped, and he was holding onto his wife’s kayak. By the time SAR Boat 1 arrived, her boat had also capsized and both were in the water – the husband was “exhausted, hypothermic, and barely responsive.” Both were wearing life jackets.

The SAR boat crew retrieved both boaters from the water and delivered them to waiting paramedics at the Dayton marina, but both kayaks were lost.

In a third instance, a young man was fishing along Highway 35 and heard a call for help. He used his golf rangefinder to confirm that “three distressed persons were about one-quarter mile off shore.” His dad flagged down a passing Montana Highway Patrolman.

Meanwhile, a bystander inflated his standup paddleboard, launched from shore and threw two of the victims lifejackets. The third floated to shore on a piece of driftwood. Within 16 minutes of the initial call, Search and Rescue’s boat arrived on scene and pulled the other two people and a kayak onto the boat and escorted them to shore. The crew reports “even the dog was safe.”

A press release from the Lake County Sheriff reminds boaters to wear PFDs and always be aware that conditions on Flathead Lake can change very rapidly, "turning a pleasurable day into a sudden nightmare." 

The sheriff's office also noted that it takes time to muster a response to these emergencies, and time to travel across this huge body of water to reach those in need of help, and thanks the county's Search and Rescue units "for their great work and volunteerism for our community."  

According to SAR, people recreating on SUPs and kayaks are especially vulnerable to choppy water. While an undamaged sit-on-top kayak will stay afloat, kayaks with a cockpit are apt to swamp and sink. SAR advises equipping the latter style with inflatable float bags for the bow and stern.

The Search and Rescue boat team also offered the follow tips for boaters recreating on Flathead Lake this summer:

• Wear a lifejacket (PFD).

• Attach the leash if using a SUP and on an inflatable SUP, always wear a PFD and use the leash.

• Check the weather forecast on the lake and surrounding areas. Know the weather on the other side of the mountains and pay attention to the wind speed and direction.

• Carry a quality marine-grade whistle attached to your PFD as an audible alert to other boaters should you become distressed: “You can’t yell as loud as a whistle.”

• Carry an orange marker flag and attach a signal mirror to your PFD to signal distress.

• Take along your cell phone in a waterproof sleeve. In an emergency dial 911 and stay connected as long as possible so dispatch can ping your location.

• If you are using kayaks, remain near shore.

• Check the weight limit of the kayak, and factor in the weight of a backpack, hiking shoes, and lunch if headed to Wild Horse Island for a hike. SAR does not recommend this adventure for kayakers.

• Above all, remain calm. Know that Lake County SAR boat crews have been alerted and typically leave the dock within 11 minutes of receiving a call.