GREAT FALLS – The body of a kayaker reported missing last week near Kootenai Falls in the Libby area has been recovered.

Jessica Prado was reported missing from the river around 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. Prado and Jared Satterlund were in a two-person kayak that capsized just below China Rapids.

Lincoln County Sheriff Darren Short said in a news release that Satterlund tried to help Prado but was last seen struggling in an eddy in the river before he lost sight of her.

They had agreed to be picked up above Kootenai Falls. A dog that accompanied them managed to escape from the river together with Satterlund.

The search team eventually found a cooler near the shore above Kootenai Falls, and the damaged kayak and other items were recovered below the falls.

Sheriff Short said Prado's body was found and recovered in the Kootenai River at approximately 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 30.

He also pointed out that the two people had been kayaking on different sections of the river in the days leading up to Wednesday's incident and said they were not wearing life jackets.

Members of David Thompson Search & Rescue and the sheriff's office combed the river and its banks for three full days and parts of two more days before finding her body. Two Bear Air Rescue of Flathead Valley also assisted in the initial search.

This is the fifth confirmed drowning case in Montana in recent days:

LEWIS & CLARK COUNTY: A man who drowned in the Missouri River near Craig last week has been identified as 71-year-old Danial Francis Gard.

Lewis & Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said Tuesday that Gard allegedly fell overboard while trying to salvage an oar that had fallen into the water.

MTN

Friends managed to pull him back on board and he was taken to the boat ramp in Craig, but Gard's resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.

Gard's death was ruled an accident.

GLACIER COUNTY: The woman who drowned near St. Mary Falls on the east side of Glacier National Park on Sunday, June 23, 2024, has been identified as 26-year-old Gillian Tones of North Apollo, Pennsylvania.

Glacier National Park officials said in a news release Tuesday that Tones first fell into the water above St. Mary Falls. Witnesses later determined that Tones slipped on wet, slippery rocks and fell into Virginia Creek between St. Mary and Virginia Falls, about 200 meters above the trail bridge.

MTN News

Tones was quickly swept away by the cold, fast-flowing water and fell over a series of smaller waterfalls. She then became trapped underwater by a log for several minutes until other park visitors were able to pull her out of the river with heroic efforts. The park dispatch center received numerous emergency calls around 5:20 p.m., which were relayed through the Glacier County dispatch center. Park rangers arrived on scene around 5:45 p.m. The ALERT helicopter landed nearby around 6:20 p.m.

Despite resuscitation attempts by passersby, park rangers, paramedics and ALERT rescue helicopters, Tones did not regain consciousness and was pronounced dead by ALERT personnel at around 7:00 p.m.

FLATHEAD COUNTY: A fugitive wanted in North Carolina drowned while fleeing from law enforcement officers in Flathead County last week. The Flathead County Sheriff's Office reports that on June 20, 2024, it received information that 35-year-old Steven Jeffrey O'Shields of Franklin, North Carolina, may be in the Kalispell and Evergreen areas.

O'Shields had warrants out for his arrest on several charges, including burglary, theft of services and sexual abuse of a child, according to a news release. O'Shields was also charged as a lawless sex offender.

According to a news release, officers were unable to locate O'Shields, but then received a tip around 7 p.m. on June 21 that O'Shields was walking at the Big Creek Campground in the North Fork area. Officers arrived there and saw O'Shields walking south on North Fork Road near mile marker 11.

According to the sheriff's office, O'Shields ran into the woods toward the Flathead River. Officers saw O'Shields wade into the river and then struggle to stay afloat.

Officials were unable to reach O'Shields. He was last seen rounding a curve south of the glacier's edge. The search for O'Shields continued. His body was eventually discovered by a Two Bear Air helicopter underwater near the Blankenship Bridge.

North Valley Search and Rescue crews recovered O'Shields' body and transported it to the Montana State Lab in Missoula for an autopsy. The Montana Department of Criminal Investigation is currently investigating this incident at the request of the Flathead County Sheriff's Office.

RAVALLI COUNTY: A 76-year-old man died after being thrown from a raft into the Bitterroot River on Monday, June 24, 2024. According to Ravalli County Sheriff Steve Holton, Roger Lee Booth of Charleston, West Virginia, drowned in the incident, which occurred near Woodside Cutoff east of Corvallis in western Montana.

The accident occurred when a raft Booth was fishing from struck a bridge pier and overturned, throwing the three people into the river, a news release said. Sheriff Holton said first responders reached the victim and provided emergency medical care, but Booth died at the scene.

The other two men who were thrown from the raft were able to reach the shore safely.

LIBERTY COUNTY: In addition, a suspected drowning is suspected in Lake Elwell. Kendall Danna of Great Falls, age 17, was one of four people who went paddling on the lake on Saturday, June 16.

As they crossed the lake, the weather turned bad, causing waves up to 1.5 meters high and wind gusts of up to 65 km/h. Three of the people managed to get to safety or were later rescued by rescue workers, but Kendall has not yet been found.

MTN News

As the search continues, a family member has started a GoFundMe campaign, which states, “Kendall has been missing from Lake Elwell since Saturday 6/16/24. Search and rescue have not given up looking for her. We are trying to raise money for services and resources for the family if she is found to help during these difficult times. We appreciate any help and prayers.” Click here if you would like to donate.

Agencies involved in the search include the Toole County Sheriff's Office, Liberty County Sheriff's Office, Cascade County Sheriff's Office, personnel from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, U.S. Border Patrol and Two Bear Air.

Drone pilot iFlyBigSky is also supporting the search and posted the following message last week: “Today, real Montanans worked together to find and bring home our young princess Kendall Danna. Unfortunately, we were not able to find her, but I promise you, we have the best of the best trying to find her.”

On Tuesday, June 25, MTN News contacted the Toole County Sheriff's Office for an update. They responded that any new information would be posted on their Facebook page.