Whitefish kayaker found safe on Kootenai

Search and rescue teams in Lincoln County were dispatched July 16 to search for a Whitefish kayaker who missed his take-out point while floating the Kootenai River near Libby.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office says Alan Lee Priebe, 68, floated past the Yaak River Campground where his companions pulled off the river.

A campground host called the sheriff’s office at 7:16 p.m. Six search and rescue members were dispatched to the scene, along with two jet boats and a Forest Service helicopter.

The helicopter found Priebe’s kayak two hours later on the shore near Leonia Bridge.

At 11:07 p.m., Priebe was located hitching a ride back to the campground. He had walked 10 miles along the South Side Road before finding campers who gave him a ride to Bonners Ferry.