On 8/11/2012 at 1436 hrs I was dispatched to a reported unattended death at the Glacier Rim River Access.  Witnesses told dispatch that they had recovered the body of a male that had been floating face down in the river.  CPR was underway.

Blacenship Fire Dept. were first on scene.  Deputy and I arrived on scene shortly after peramedics had declared the victim deceased.  At 1530 hrs the other person that had been floating with the victim arrived at the Glacier Rim Access in his inflatable pontoon raft.

According to Witness 1, he and the victim were floating the river when they came to an area of rough water.  Witness 1 was in the lead and flipped his pontoon raft in the water.  Witness 1 yelled for the victim to go to the left side of the river to avoid the rough water, but the victim also capsized his pontoon in the same area.  The victim was wearing a life vest that had to be inflated.  As the victim surfaced behind the vessel he yelled for help.  Witness 1 yelled for the victim to inflate his life vest.  The victim was swept out of sight.  Witness 1 went to shore and ran downstream 600-800 yards, but couldn''t see the victim.

At Glacier Rim Access Witness 2 was on shore when she spotted the victim floating face down in the river.  While witness 2 called 911witness 3 got in a raft withsome others and pulled the Victims body to shore.  Witness 3 wrote in his statement that the victim "was pulseless blue and cold".  Witness 3 also wrote, " I did CPR for 2-5 minutes with no results. Pupils where fix and dilated. (sic) Paramedic arrived with EKG monitor confirmed asystole."

Note:  The victim''s life vest was not inflated when he was recovered from the river.

Commander was the Coroner; the scene was turned over to him upon his arrival.
Columbia Falls                