The Daily Inter Lake
posted April 9, 2006

Flathead County Sheriff's divers continued their search Saturday but failed to find the body of a 26-year-old Canadian man presumed drowned in Whitefish Lake.

Flathead County Sheriff's Office has not yet released the name of the victim.

Jordan White, dive team commander, said searchers began at about 8 a.m. Saturday using sonar scanning. Nine divers resumed the underwater search at about 11 a.m.

With each diver limited to one deep and one shallow diver per day, the team had the manpower to continue the search until just before 5 p.m.

"There really are just two areas we didn't get good coverage on today," White said.

He expects the team to resume the search this morning.

If the body isn't recovered in those areas, White said it will mean the body isn't within the team's dive limits of 130 feet.

A dragging operation will follow under that scenario.

The man was in a canoe with another man when it capsized Friday in 37 degree water on the north side of the lake near Les Mason Park.

Two men on shore jumped on boards and paddled out on the lake but were able to save only one of the two.

Divers began searching for the body on Friday in water estimated at 120 to 130 feet deep. Boats also patrolled the area from about 100 feet out from shore until darkness halted the search.

St. Dave Leib of Flathead County Sheriff's Office said the two were part of nine visitors who had rented a house on the lake for a bachelor party.

Leib said the victim was from Lethbridge, Alberta.