Trooper drowns rescuing dog

The Daily Inter Lake and The Associated Press

An off-duty Montana Highway Patrol trooper drowned in an irrigation canal south of Polson on Sunday while saving his dog.

The trooper was identified as Chris Hoyt, 41. His death was ruled an accidental drowning by Lake County Sheriff Lucky Larson.

Hoyt was on a walk with the dog Sunday morning when it fell into the canal and had trouble getting back up the bank. Hoyt went into the water and got the dog out, but was unable to pull himself out, Larson said.

The dog survived.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call at 11:13 a.m. Sunday from a woman saying there was a man in the irrigation canal who needed help. Deputies, ambulance personnel and fire crews were sent to the scene.

They pulled Hoyt from the water and he was taken to St. Joseph Hospital in Polson, where he was pronounced dead at 12:12 p.m.

Hoyt was a trooper for 6 1/2 years, based in Polson.

He was a graduate of Polson High School and a lifelong member of the community.

Memorial services for Hoyt will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Linderman gym in Polson. Interment will follow at Lakeview Cemetery in Polson.

"When Trooper Chris Hoyt put on his patrol uniform, he meant business. Chris was a performer among performers, a trooper who was dedicated to reducing crashes in District VI," said Col. Mike Tooley, chief of the Montana Highway Patrol. "He will be missed both for his work and for the man he was. During this time of mourning, the patrol will keep his family and friends in our thoughts and prayers."

Hoyt is survived by three sons, ages 17, 14 and 10.

Hoyt is the fourth active patrol officer the Kalispell district has lost in 22 months.

The other three died in crashes while they were on duty.

David Graham, 36, died in October 2007 when a vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic and struck his patrol car. Evan F. Schneider, 29, died in August 2008 when a vehicle he was pursuing forced another vehicle into the path of his patrol car. Mike Haynes, 28, was killed in March this year after a drunk driver hit his car head-on.