One dead after drowning in North Fork

An 80-year-old Kalispell man drowned on the North Fork of the Flathead River Saturday afternoon after his one-man pontoon boat capsized roughly half a mile north of the Glacier Rim access point.

Several 911 calls came in shortly after 2:30 p.m., when people at the access point found the man’s body floating face down in the river. They attempted CPR but were unsuccessful.

According to Flathead County Undersheriff Dave Leib, the man was wearing an inflatable life preserver, but it was not inflated when he was pulled out of the river.

The man had a companion with him who was also on a one-man pontoon boat, which also capsized. He was able to get to shore and climb out of the water.

The accident remains under investigation by the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office.

The victim’s name is being withheld pending notification of the family.