RedactedNarrative: On June 21st 2022 at approximately 1430, a 14 foot Outlaw brand raft with a center frame rowing seat, with 3 people aboard flipped at Pinball rapid, class IV/V, on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. 
  
  The raft entered the rapid headed down stream at 5 or 6 miles an hour.  The operator was not rowing forward and there was not sufficient momentum and speed needed to break through the main standing wave of the rapid. A lateral wave struck the starboard bow of the raft and flipped the raft ejecting all 3 occupants.
  
   Swimmer 2 (S2) was on the back of the raft  and swimmer 3 (S3) was on the front of the raft at the time of the flip. Both swimmer 2 and 3 made it ashore, on river left, where they were able to call 911. Swimmer 1 (S1) was the operator, he was last seen swimming with the capsized raft headed downstream. Three other named rapids were downstream of the incident site. The raft was later found pinned down stream of the incident site and S1''s body was recovered deceased down stream near the West Glacier boat ramp. 
  
  The nearest USGS river gauge at West Glacier was approximately 24100 Cubic Feet per Second (CFS). The 82 year median flow for that day is approximately 8200 CFS.  Flood stage is 10 feet, the river was 9.6 feet at the time of the incident . Water temperature was approximately 47 deg Fahrenheit (F), air temperature was approximately 65 deg F. All occupants had type III inherent PFD''s on. None of the occupants had any thermal barriers. None of the occupants had helmets. 
  
  The coroner noted a small abrasion on the left part of the forehead of the operator (S1) but stated that the vomit found in his mouth indicated death was from drowning. Based on interviews with friends the operator (S1) had sufficient experience on these specific rapids over the last four years but at much lower levels and never at such high flows. The video footage and the fact that the operator (S1) lacked experience at such high flows indicate that the likely cause of the incident was due to operator inexperience at such high river flows and lack of thermal barrier/insulation gear.
  