SEELEY LAKE – Seeley-Swan Search & Rescue coordinated with the Flathead County Dive team to recover the second snowmobile that went through Seeley Lake this past winter. The first snowmobile was removed Feb. 25, the day after it fell through.
The evening of Feb. 24, two snowmobilers went through the ice on the north end of Seeley Lake. Both drivers were able to get out of the water and sustained no injuries. One snowmobile was completely submerged while the other remained partially exposed.
SSSAR recovered the partially exposed snowmobile the next day. There was a concern for public safety since enough was showing that it would attract people to an area of thin ice. The submerged snowmobile remained in the water.
The Flathead County Dive Team was looking for an opportunity to train with lift bags.
“This was the perfect training evolution,” said Missoula County Sheriff’s Sergeant Robert Parcell. “They got some practice and it wasn’t that tough.”
The dive team came down Saturday, June 2. SSSAR had previously located the snowmobile and put a buoy by it.
The dive team found the submerged snowmobile and attached the lift bags to it. The snowmobile was then attached to SSSAR member Auguste Lockwood’s barge that he uses in his business for moving docks.
“It was powerful and big enough to maneuver the snowmobile underwater like a big weight,” said Parcell.
Lockwood pulled the snowmobile to the canoe launch at the Seeley Lake Ranger Station. The snowmobile was pulled the rest of the way out of the water with a vehicle. Within two and half hours the snowmobile was on shore.
“It’s really nice when it all comes together. Auguste Lockwood donating his time and resources because that is his business. He volunteered to bring it out. He did a great job,” said Parcell who was also appreciative for the Flathead Dive Team and the rest of the SSSAR volunteers giving up their time for the community and the individual who lost his snowmobile.
“Our Search and Rescue got to train with the Flathead Dive Team and it was a great training evolution,” said Parcell who said there was no charge for removing the snowmobile. “We don’t always get to do that because we are not in the business of recovering property but this was one of those times that we thought it would be good to go ahead and do it for training purposes only.”
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