A 24-year-old male kayaker has been missing on Flathead Lake since Tuesday, Aug. 10 after his boat flipped in rough waters, according to Lake County Sheriff Donald Bell.
The kayaker was last seen near West Shore State Park by the county border. Lake County and Flathead County Search and Rescue teams began conducting a grid search on Tuesday and resumed efforts on Wednesday morning with dive teams.
As of Wednesday afternoon, search efforts remained unsuccessful.
The missing person was with another 24-year-old male kayaker, who said large waves flipped their boats when his friend became submerged. Two other males swam from the shore to assist but were unsuccessful in rescuing the victim. A private boater rescued the three other males and brought them to shore.
Neither kayaker was wearing a life jacket.
“The waves and no life jacket are the major contributing factors,” Bell said.
“In the main part of the lake it was very rough,” Bell added. “That’s the second roughest I’ve seen on the lake. The waves were probably a foot-and-a-half to 2-foot waves. In a kayak, that’s pretty bad.”
ALERT Air Ambulance, Two Bear Air and ground ambulance responded to the scene in addition to Flathead County and Lake County sheriff’s offices. The companion kayaker who capsized was uninjured but was examined by medical providers.
It’s unclear if the missing kayaker was a local resident.
Law enforcement reminds recreationists to wear life jackets on the water.