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Drowning Victim Identified; Sheriff's Office Urges River Safety

By The Associated Press
By KFBB News Team

Story Created: Jul 29, 2010 at 8:59 AM MST

Story Updated: Jul 30, 2010 at 6:33 PM MST

The Cascade County Sheriff's Office is urging people to be safe on the Missouri river, after two drowning deaths this summer.
18-year-old Devin Erick spriggs of great falls drowned Wednesday near Hardy Creek, after swimming in the Missouri river with friends.

21-year-old Leroy Emack of Utah drowned earlier this month near Rainbow Dam, after his canoe cap-sized.

While it is certainly a great place to cool off and enjoy the summer weather, simple safety rules could prevent another drowning on the river.

The Sheriff's Office would also like to remind swimmers to be extra careful near deep swimming or jumping holes, because that deep water is created by fast moving and often dangerous currents.

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Cascade County official say they've found the body of an 18-year-old Great Falls man who had been missing since Wednesday night in the Missouri River in the Hardy Creek area.

The body was found just after 4:00 p.m. in the river, and will be turned over to the Cascade County deputy coroner.

A multi-agency response team, including Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Dearborn Volunteer Fire Department resumed searching for the the young man, whose name has not yet been released, around 8:00 a.m. Wednesday. He was reportedly swimming with friends Wednesday night near the Mountain Place boat ramp, a popular summer-time destination.

Earlier reports said the man had jumped into the water from the nearby cliffs and failed to resurface, but Cascade County Search and Rescue Vice Commander Joey Zahara now say he was already in the river when he went below the surface.

"He was swimming out to a rock, got caught in the current. A buddy tried to rescue him but the hydraulics and the current and undertow took him underneath," Zahara adds.

Zahara also says nearly every year search and rescue crews are called to the this same spot because swimmers just aren't prepared for the swift moving current in the area.

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