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Accident Database: Accident #793
| River: | Flathead, Middle Fork |
| Section: | 3. Moccasin Creek to West Glacier |
| Location: | Pinball Rapids |
| Water Level: | High |
| Difficulty: | IV- |
| Accident Code(s): | L.S. on a Comm. Trip |
| Injury Code(s): | Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal |
| Age: | 54 |
| Private/Commercial: | Commercial |
| Boat Type: | Raft |
| Number of Victims: | 1 |
| Summary: | Water has been high in the Northwest through most of this year. In mid-June there were two incidents on Montana's Middle Fork of the Flathead River, where the water was high, but below flood stage. According to the Daily Inter Lake, a Florida family flipped their 14 foot oar-rigged boat in Pinball Rapids on June 17th. One passenger, a woman, held onto the raft for over 20 minutes, during which time she washed downstream through several major rapids. Commercial outfitters eating lunch on shore spotted her and made the rescue. She was flown by helicopter to a hospital and treated for hypothermia. Two days later a 54-year-old man died after his commercial raft flipped, also in Pinball Rapids. Guides pulled everyone into other rafts quickly, but the man lost consciousness minutes later. Guides started CPR and used radios to contact authorities. The Deputy Coroner thought that he might have succumbed to heart problems. |
| Report Status: | Incomplete |
