# Missing person Stillwater River, Montana



## gnarsify (Oct 5, 2020)

Just a heads up to the Montana buzzards. Missing 44 year old woman on the Stillwater. She's believed to have been flushed into the Yellowstone River by now. If any of you are floating the 'stone below Columbus keep an eye out.


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## KrisG (Jun 22, 2012)

The family and friends of the missing woman have my deepest sympathies for their loss. I do not wish to make any comments which might be construed as insensitive, but any Stillwater boaters need to know this information about the Beartooth drop rapid, as this is the third fatality at this exact location in the past 10 or so years. 

The lower Stillwater is the classic beginner run for eastern Montana. Eastern boaters who have run it compare it favorably to the Nantahala, a run many may have heard of. It has only one rapid of note, the Beartooth drop, which is rated a generous class 3. The rest of the run is class 2 or less. Beartooth drop is a sandstone ledge which is continuously eroding and has changed a lot in the past 20 years. immediately below the drop is a private bridge which has a single large metal support right of center in the river. What happens on a consistent basis is that people running the rapid take a bigger hit than expected, pop an oar, lose a boater overboard, flip, or somehow otherwise get distracted, and don't notice they about to float into the bridge pier. The current, as you can see, is strong, and when a raft hits the bridge it will wrap with frightening speed. 

While there have been 3 fatalities, there have been at least 10 times that many near misses, where someone wrapped a raft but everyone swam free and survived. This is a preventable accident. Their are several root causes that need to be addressed. First, take a moment to look at the river

low flow with the current rapid configuration. Note how far upstream you can see the bridge. The river has eroded a trough upstream. The easiest line is the tongue that the raft follows. There is plenty of room to avoid the bridge. In the old days everyone used to run far right. That is not recommended now as most of the water now goes down the center. Running Beartooth Drop! Fun times. - Absaroka River Adventures | Facebook 

slightly higher flow. 2000cfs go to about 1:20 in the video. you want to be a little left of where these guys went. If you hit this seam sideways, you can flip a raft.
Rafting Stillwater River 2000cfs (Beartooth Drop, Swinging Bridge) 2016 - YouTube 

Mid High Flow. This seems to be most dangerous level. rapid is in full flow. If you take the adventurous line, it sets you up for almost hitting the bridge pier. This was the level on Sunday.
Rafting Stillwater River 3500cfs (Swinging Bridge Rapids, Beartooth Drop) 2016 - YouTube 

High level. rapid is basically flushed out. take the left line
Absaroka River Adventures - Beartooth drop at 5,850 CFS | Facebook

Note the bridge can be seen from a long way off. Take a line where you won't float into the bridge pier.

Now that you have seen the river, we need to discuss the factors that boaters need to correct to avoid accidents on the Stillwater and elsewhere. I have observed these on the Stillwater, but they are applicable everywhere. 

1. many of the rafters are not particularly skilled at rafting. They choose the wrong line, don't know how to move the boat as needed, and don't make corrective strokes to miss the bridge pier after the rapid. In addition, many do not know the dangers of a bridge pier wrap, so have no idea of the importance of missing the bridge pier. The most important rule in rafting is to prevent the incident in the first place. 

2. Casual attitude towards swimming. Many rafters don't wear a pfd. When the river is high it is also really cold. almost no rafters wear clothing for a swim in the conditions. (drysuit or equivalent) In addition, many boaters on this river are not good swimmers and know nothing about swimming in a fast moving shallow river. You can't be passive, you need to get to shore if no one is coming to get you. The woman in this latest incident was not wearing a pfd. 

3. beware of entanglements when you flip. The two previous deaths involved entanglements. make sure you deal with your entanglement hazards so all can get clear of the raft if it flips. 

Lets all be safe out there and try to make this the last fatality at this location.


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## Tanaman (Nov 13, 2020)

Pretty sad. I heard they had 4 kids and a lawn chair in the boat. They probably ran it a hundred times like that at low water, obviously not a good idea at highwater. 









Update: Search suspended for woman missing in Stillwater River


The Stillwater County Sheriff's Office says four people - three adults and one child - were aboard the raft when it overturned and wrapped around a bridge pier on the Stillwater River.




www.ktvq.com


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## MThikergirl (Jul 7, 2016)

They found her.

Body of missing woman recovered from Yellowstone River


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