Vessel along with nine other boats put on the Missouri river at Fred Robinson bridge on June 11 at 9a.m.  They went up river and camped at a camping area called Eagle creek for the night. They then continued up river the next morning and stopped at Fort Benton on June 12 at 10a.m. to meet with a fuel truck to refuel their boats.  Some of the members of the group talked to a game warden.  The warden explained to them that where they were headed the water was very high and that the big eddie was very dangerous at anytime, but especially at these water levels. The warden then told them not to continue to the big eddie.

The occupants of the boats then decided to proceeded anyways they explained to warden they liked to go through the rapids.  When the boats got to the bad area of the river called the big eddie, the coordinator  of the trip, told the crews that the next set of rapids are dangerous and if they do not feel comfortable do not go. Only five of the boats proceeded up through the eddie.  All boats made it through the eddie fine.  V1 desired to go back up through the big eddie again and got caught in the current of the eddie. the bow boat took on water from the wave of the eddie and the current then spun them around and flipped the boat over in a counter clockwise direction. The occupant was at the back of the boat and was ejected immediately with no injuries. The operator was in the cabin of the boat at the wheel and went under with the boat as it went down. He got caught on a object under his right armpit that then cut through his clothes and skin 

As the boat started to roll down with the current operator was then able to swim free of the boat and swim to the surface. At this time the boat was completely submerged under the water down stream from the eddie. Neither one of the two occupants were wearing life jackets at the time of the accident. The other boats in the area were able to get close enough to pick the subjects out of the water and then proceeded back to Fort Benton.  While in Fort Benton the operator reported the accident to Fort Benton P.D. then to warden.

Great Falls                   