Trout Creek man dead after falling through ice

A Trout Creek man died over the weekend after falling through the ice in the Trout Creek area.

On Thursday, February 8, the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) received a report of a missing person after Jim Chambers did not return home from ice fishing. Chambers’ belongings were located on and around the ice, and his vehicle was still parked in the Marten Creek area just outside of Trout Creek.

Sheriff Shawn Fielders told The Ledger that Chambers had been fishing on the Clark Fork River down from the the Marten Creek boat launch. He said that due to high temperatures, he does not recommend anyone be out on the ice. “I highly recommend everyone stays off the ice. It’s not predictable right now,” Sheriff Fielders said. He added that with water temperatures in the 30s, hypothermia can set in within just a few minutes. “Please stay off as it’s unsafe,” Fielders stressed.

SCSO reported that due to unsafe conditions and the darkness of the night, recovery efforts were unsuccessful on Thursday and Friday. Sanders County Search and Rescue and two specialized divers from Flathead County Sheriff’s Office also assisted in the search, and Chambers’s body was recovered from the Clark Fork River on Saturday afternoon. “Without these two agencies coming together, this recovery for the family, friends and community would not have been possible,” SCSO said in a press release. Sheriff Fielders said that they had plenty of ground support and the Flathead County divers had the specialized equipment to assist Sanders County in the recovery.