Helping Feed Cows Leads to Fast Response by V.C. S&R

When Josh Thompson received the call that two kayakers were in need of help on the Milk River on March 31, they were in luck. The Search and Rescue airboat was already staged and in place to serve a very different mission. The crew was supposed to go out with the boat to help a local rancher reach his stranded cattle and get them food later that day. So when the call came in that two kayakers were in need of help near Whatley Road that Sunday afternoon, they were already ready to go.

According to a report from Sheriff Tom Boyer, as best he understood it, the two kayakers, one male and one female and both in their mid-twenties, had lashed their boats together and set out down the Milk after putting in at Whatley Road. At the time, the river was in major flood stage and the undercurrent was laden with trees, ice and other obstacles. Boyer stated that at some point, the duo ended up pinned to a tree and the male fell into the water. The female then broke free but was unable to effectively maneuver the two boats together. She would end up a few miles down stream with a broken paddle.

In the meantime, the male victim had escaped to shore and notified family of his situation. They in turn called Josh Thompson, a lieutenant with Valley County Search and Rescue, who told them to make a report to dispatch while he notified appropriate responders. During the confusion, a report to dispatch made by family had been misunderstood and responders believed they may have also been dealing with a vehicle rollover in the water. Due to that report, the Long Run Fire Department responded in case the victims needed extricated, but after the issue was clarified they assisted instead with spotting for the victim. At the same time, members of the rescue crew and the airboat then began searching for the female victim.

“It was a great mutual aide response from the fire department,” said Thompson. He described how the firefighters were positioned along the river to search for the missing woman.

About the same time Darrell Morehouse; following a request by the family, according to Boyer; had taken to the air in search of the missing woman while the airboat patrolled the waters. Within the hour she had been located by Morehouse in the air, picked up by the boat and put in the ambulance with hypothermia.

“Within an hour of getting the call the victim was in the ambulance and on her way to the hospital,” stated Boyer. “I just want to say kudos to dispatch, search and rescue, first responders and the citizen volunteers who got there so quickly and coordinated to find and rescue her.”

“I’m happy with how everything went,” said Thompson. “The crew did awesome and everything went well.”

Boyer was also happy to report that the cows did get checked in on and were also well fed. He explained that earlier in the week a local rancher had reached out to him and asked if there was anything the sheriff could do to help him reach a few of his bulls that had been stranded by high water. The sheriff then reached out to search and rescue and they were able to take the rancher out with some square hay bales and check up on the livestock around mid week. The rancher and search and rescue had arraigned for a follow-up with the cattle on Sunday and were en route to launch when the call came in for the kayakers.

According to Boyer, helping the rancher most certainly contributed to the crews quick response. “That’s what’s great about this town. Whether we’re serving cows, the guy who owns the cows or someone in danger, this town always comes together to help each other.”