Firefighters rescue stranded swimmers

The Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District launched their watercraft to rescue two stranded swimmers along the Clark Fork River across from Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort last Saturday.

Around 11 p.m., a guest from Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort swam across the Clark Fork River to the site of a train derailment that happened in April, when a train car full of beer dumped alongside and into the river. Railroad crews cleaned up the site of wrecked train cars and materials, including beer, but apparently left some along the river. The man was there a short time when another man decided to join him.

“It was pitch black, and they encountered some strong currents and they got disoriented in the black water,” said Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District Chief James Russell, who added that they decided to yell for help to their friends still on the resort side.

Logan Martin, who was working security at Quinn’s at the time, reported that two guests had gone across the river and got stuck. “They are currently on the tracks drinking leftover beer from the crash,” he reported.

Russell said that Martin called 911 for assistance, and his team launched. The chief said they decided to utilize their inflatable kayak to retrieve the stranded swimmers, whom Russell believes were in their 20s or 30s and were from the Anaconda area. He didn’t have their names. The district’s water rescue technicians — Ben Portillo, Chris Schrock and Zach Vanderwall, the water team leader — transferred the men one at a time the 300 yards back across the river. For safety precautions, the team first provided helmets and life jackets to the men.

Four other members of rural’s swiftwater rescue technicians were at the scene: Brian Reed, rural’s deputy chief, along with firefighters Sonya Black, Tim Kinsinger and Russell. Russell said the entire operation took only about 25 minutes and went smoothly.

The men, dressed only in shorts, were checked out by the firefighters, confirmed they were not injured and were released. No citations were issued. Russell couldn’t say for sure, but he believes at least one of the men appeared inebriated. “I think alcohol may have played a factor,” said Russell, who noted that the men made the right choice of staying put and getting help. With the swift currents and water temperature around 60 degrees, they could have been in a lot more trouble, he said. “Our firefighters used their skills and equipment to execute a professional rescue. It went well,” said Russell.

It was Russell, the fire chief for more than six years, who got the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District heavily involved with water rescue training and purchased jet skis, kayaks and a 14-foot rigid hulled inflatable boat to help with the water rescue mission. They’ve held numerous training sessions to make his crew proficient.