On Patrol: Sheriff's office patrols lake

Sunday morning dawned a beautiful summer day. The temperature was only supposed to rise to the low 70s. It was sunny and a time to hit the lake ... with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office lake patrol.

I met deputies Chris Roberts and Shelley Burton at Wayfarer’s Park at 10:20 a.m. and spent two hours on the lake.

Roberts explained that most of their work involves promoting safety and educating the public about it.

They don’t typically issue very many citations, although during my short visit with them they made one: an $85 ticket for not having a spotter present when towing a tube or raft. In this instance, four children were being towed on two inner tubes by an Alberta boater.

Other examples of possible boat citations include: not using a proper flotation device, not having enough life jackets on the boat and entering a wake within 100 feet of a boat with a Wave Runner.

Roberts explained that most of the tickets run $85 and they rarely encounter a DUI.

“We do a lot of safety checks,” he said, noting they usually give warnings. “We don’t want to ruin their day. For the most part, people are being pretty good.”

Roberts pilots the boat, which uses two 225-horsepower engines.

The most action he’s been involved in this year was after a boat crashed around midnight June 29 while heading into Eagle Bend Harbor. No one was hurt in that incident. A private party gave a ride to the passengers. Roberts, who was on call, responded and towed the boat to shore.

Roberts has two and a half years with the sheriff’s office. He is certified in swiftwater rescue and also is a member of the sheriff’s office dive team.

Burton, who joined the department in June and plans to attend the state law enforcement academy when the summer is over, has experience in swiftwater and mine rescue training from her time in Colorado.

Roberts and Burton started patrolling Flathead Lake June 25. They usually work Thursday through Sunday and will likely continue through Labor Day.

The various bays in the lake are where most of the activity is. If you see their boat this summer, Roberts and Burton are happy to answer any questions one might have about state laws and being safe on Flathead Lake.