Searchers retrieve angler's body

The body of a 30-year-old Hungry Horse man was recovered from Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park just before noon Friday.

Michael William Sloan was located about 65 feet below the surface and 200 yards from the shore of the lake by searchers using an underwater submersible device with an onboard camera.

Sloan had been missing since a friend reported he did not show up for work at about 6 p.m. Tuesday. Rangers found his truck a short time later and located his fishing pole near the confluence of McDonald Creek and Lake McDonald on Wednesday.

Searchers began focusing on the confluence after a broader effort involving a helicopter, dogs and divers resulted in no clues to his disappearance.

Flathead County Dive Team Commander Jordan White said a sonar device dragged behind a boat throughout the day Thursday helped pinpoint the location of the body.

White said he was reviewing data stored in a laptop computer when he spotted what appeared to be the body at about 1 a.m. Friday. The sonar device, which includes a global positioning system, allowed searchers to return to the approximate location Friday morning.

The submersible device returned a video feed that confirmed the location. The body was on a 60-degree slope that stretched to 400 feet below the surface, White said, adding that recovery would have been more difficult had the body not become snagged on debris.

Underwater trees and snags presented a safety risk for divers, but White said it was determined the body was at a safe enough depth to recover. The surface temperature of the water during the search was about 57 degrees.

“Everyone was very committed to this search operation and worked tirelessly to bring this to a speedy conclusion,” White said.

Sloan’s body was returned to his family Friday afternoon. White, who also served as coroner, said the cause of death was drowning and there was no need for an autopsy.

It’s the second drowning fatality in Glacier this year and the third in five years. Water-related accidents are the No. 1 cause of death in the park, according to the National Park Service.

“We are saddened by the loss of Mr. Sloan and on behalf of park management and staff, I extend our heartfelt sympathies to his family and friends,” Chief Ranger Mark Foust said in a prepared statement. “We appreciate the hard work, dedication and commitment to safety shown by everyone involved in the search and recovery effort.”

The park service, dive team, Flathead County Search and Rescue and North Valley Search and Rescue all assisted during the four-day effort.

Reporter Eric Schwartz may be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at eschwartz@dailyinterlake.com