Search teams scour Kootenai River for missing kayaker

Search crews continued Saturday to look for a woman who went missing while kayaking on the Kootenai River in northwest Montana earlier in the week.

According to Lincoln County Sheriff Darren Short, teams from the county and David Thompson Search and Rescue were using everything in their toolboxes to locate missing woman Jessica Prado.

In addition to dogs and a drone, underwater cameras were used to help in the search for the woman. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impounded water from Libby Dam to lower the water level on the river to help researchers.

According to a press release from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, dispatch received a call around 7:58 p.m. on Wednesday, June 26. Prado and Jared Satterlund were kayaking above Kootenai Falls when they began experiencing problems.

Satterlund tried to help Prado, but he last saw her struggling in a river vortex before losing sight of her.

Short said the two men had been kayaking on different sections of the river a few days before Wednesday's incident. He also said they were not wearing life jackets.

Short said their two-person kayak capsized just below China Rapids. They had arranged to be picked up above Kootenai Falls.

A dog that was accompanying them was also able to get out of the river, as was Satterlund.

Officers from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office and David Thompson Search and Rescue responded to search for Prado. A cooler was found near the shore above Kootenai Falls and a damaged kayak and other property were recovered downstream from Kootenai Falls.

Flathead Valley's Two Bear Air Rescue also responded to assist in the search.

Short asked people who encountered rescuers to avoid disrupting their efforts. He also urged river users to exercise caution and recommended they wear a life jacket.

“The Kootenai River has claimed many lives over the years,” Short said. “It has dangerous currents that can surprise people and lead to a potentially deadly situation.”