A Whitefish city councilor has been in intensive care in a Great Falls hospital with a broken pelvis and brain contusion following a Saturday car accident while on a pheasant hunting trip.
Bill Kahle was in a vehicle driven by his son, Scott, when the truck veered off the road 23 miles east of Conrad and rolled several times in a ditch, according to a CaringBridge site set up by friends and family. A third passenger, Kevin Duff, was also in the vehicle.
All three were taken to a hospital in Conrad. Duff was then life-flighted to Great Falls, while Kahle and his son were taken there by ambulance and placed in intensive care.
According to the CaringBridge site, Kahle has been in the intensive care unit but is improving. His ventilator and stomach draining tube were removed. And he is eating and interacting with others.
A physical therapist moved all of his limbs and on Monday Kahle stood with the aid of a walker to perform a “little two-step.” Doctors, according to the site, have indicated they will not carry out surgery on his pelvis, opting to allow natural healing. They also believe his nickel-sized brain contusion will heal itself.
As of 4 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, 105 people, including fellow city officials and friends from Whitefish, had signed Kahle’s CaringBridge guestbook, offering support.
The person providing the site’s updates thanked everybody for their “tremendous outpouring of help, love and support.”
“The Kahles and Duffs have such an unbelievable network of family and friends and I have no doubt it had something to do with their remarkable survival and now miraculous recovery,” the message said.
City Manager Chuck Stearns said it’s unknown when Kahle will be able to return to the council.
“We’re mostly concerned about his health and the health of his family and friend, Kevin Duff,” Stearns said. “That’s our main concern right now. The rest will evolve in the future. Bill’s making some good progress.”
Updates on Kahle’s condition can be found at www.caringbridge.org/visit/billkahle.