Raging river hampers search for missing man
Crews from the Polson Rural Fire Department search the lower Flathead River for a man who fell into the rapids below the Selis Ksanka Qlispe Dam Overlook Wednesday afternoon. (Brett Berntsen/Lake County Leader)
Authorities have focused in on a search area for a missing Nebraska man who fell into the Lower Flathead River near Polson on June 2.
Richard Mitchell, 23, fell into the river below the Séliš Ksanka Ql’ispé Dam overlook after crossing the guardrail at the overlook with two other people, both from Gering, Nebraska.
According to a press release Tuesday from Lake County Sheriff Don Bell, a specialized dog team has alerted search crews to an area that is being investigated with an underwater camera.
According to Bell, the river is running very high, which is hampering the effort. Bell said he would not publicly disclose the search location at this time for safety reasons.
“[The river] is the highest I’ve ever seen it,” Bell said. “All 12 spillways are going. The water is very treacherous.”
Bell said search crews attached an underwater camera to a life vest to investigate the eddy the dog honed in on.
“We put a camera in the water and tried some other ways,” Bell said. “But we can’t put divers in the water, it’s just not safe.”
The search effort includes teams from Lake County Search and Rescue and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Fish and Game.