Georgia woman drowns in South Fork

A day on the South Fork Flathead River turned tragic Sunday afternoon for a visiting couple from Georgia: Their canoe capsized, and the woman drowned.

Teresa Yawn, 43, and Ian Joubert, both of Gainesville, Ga., were soon to be married.

"They were here visiting his parents," said Deputy Bob Provo, coroner with the Flathead County Sheriff's Office.

The couple launched a canoe in the river below Hungry Horse Dam, just upstream from a section called "Devil's Elbow."

"They were in the water for about two minutes when their canoe flipped over," Provo said. "They were unfamiliar with the area, so they went in on one of the most hazardous parts of the river without life jackets."

Yawn and Joubert were able to swim and get out of the water on the west shore of the river, where there are no roads.

"They decided to swim back to the east shore to get back to where the road is," Provo said. "She made it about halfway across and was exhausted and got swept down the river."

Joubert dove back in and made an attempt to save Yawn, but could not reach her.

"The current was getting the best of him, so he swam back to shore," Provo said. "We're lucky we didn't have a double drowning."

Flathead sheriff's dispatch got a 911 call at 3:05 p.m., reporting that a person was missing in the river. Three Rivers Ambulance, North Valley Search and Rescue, ALERT helicopter and several deputies were dispatched.

The canoe was reported floating upside down in the river near the bridge.

Yawn and the canoe were swept through Devil's Elbow, a torrential and tight turn in the river with rock walls on either shoreline. With a deceptively shallow appearance, the turn in the river drops through solid bedrock and is actually deeper than 40 feet in some places with harsh currents.

At one point, dispatchers received a call from a person saying that the missing woman could be seen under the water just below Devil's Elbow.

A North Valley Search and Rescue boat was being launched at about 3:40 p.m. just downstream at the U.S. 2 bridge over the South Fork. Soon after, searchers on the vessel were able to recover Yawn's body from the water using lines.

"They could visibly see her submerged in the water," Provo said. "She was held there by the current."

Provo said she had been under water for at least 30 minutes.

Rescuers attempted to revive Yawn on the shoreline but were unsuccessful.

Two years ago, a man drowned in the same stretch of water.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com