August 20, 2009
Fisherman saves boy from drowning in Flathead River
Jim Blow/Valley Journal
The Flathead River boasts many calm stretches that are great for swimming, but swimmers should be aware and avoid channels with strong currents and backwater.
The flow of water in the Flathead drops off significantly after June and continues to fall throughout July, so late summer is prime time for swimming on much of the river. Of course, there are still deep channels with strong currents and tricky backwater to avoid.
“There’s still a lot of water coming down the river,” Steve Clairmont of St. Ignatius said.
One young swimmer that Clairmont rescued learned that lesson all too well on Aug. 10. Clairmont, who is a regular on the river with his fishing buddies, decided at the last minute to try his luck that day, although none of his friends could join him. He packed his fishing gear, and boat in tow, headed out to the Perma Bridge area below Dixon.
It was a warm, sunny day, but turned too windy for Clairmont’s light boat, so after a few hours fishing several miles upstream from the bridge, he turned back for the take-out point. About 150 yards above the Perma Bridge, Clairmont noticed a young teenage boy wading chest-deep into the narrow channel upriver from the bridge. As Clairmont approached the boy, he pushed off and started swimming.
“I thought, ‘Well, he must be a pretty strong swimmer,’” Clairmont said. “I would never, ever try something like that.”
Clairmont had already reached the bank and started to pull his boat out of the water when he heard a yell, “Help me!”
The young swimmer was waving his arms and calling for help, and his friend, who appeared to be about 14 too, was running along a gravel bar by the water. Clairmont hopped back in the boat and drove out to the lad, who was now just under the bridge.
“There are some really terrible undercurrents there, and boulders,” Clairmont explained.
He pulled alongside the boy, who grabbed the front of the boat and managed to pull himself in. The youngster was gasping for air, and “his eyes were pretty big,” Clairmont said.
Clairmont admonished the boy to be more careful when choosing a swimming spot, and directed him and his friend downriver to a calmer, safe swimming hole.
“I’m just glad I was there,” Clairmont said. “I don’t think either one of them realized the seriousness of the situation.”
What might have happened if Clairmont hadn’t happened along when he did is anyone’s guess, but Clairmont hopes the incident will be a reminder to swimmers to respect the power of the river and choose swimming spots wisely.
“It happened pretty quick … I was just a guy in the right place at the right time,” Clairmont said. |
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