For nearly 12 hours on Saturday, teams from several law enforcement agencies, mostly volunteers, worked tirelessly to retrieve three snowmobiles out of Seeley Lake after two men drowned last December while attempting to ride across the lake. 

Missoula county Sheriff’s Deputy Bob Parcell said all three snowmobiles were recovered from the center of the middle part of the lake, and detailed the many agencies who participated in the recovery.

"We had the Flathead County boat, which contained a remote operated vehicle, side sonar and hey also brought 10 divers with them," Parcell said. "We had the Missoula Search and Rescue boat, the Seeley Swan Rescue boat, and the Whitefish Police Department came along with the Flathead County dive boat."

Parcell said the recovery consisted of two parts, ascertaining the actual location of the sleds, and their recovery.

"We had a shallow water team to bring the machines up close, and then we had a shore party to assist them in getting the snowmobiles to shore," he said. "That included a tractor and a long cable which helped in the final effort."

Parcell said there were family members of the victims of last December's  accident present during the recovery.

"We had the mother of one of the victims, and a friend of the individual's wife of the gentleman that died," Parcell said. "His wife sent a friend over to obtain the snowmobile for her, and a mother of one of the victims, as well."

Five men were trying to cross the lake on snowmobiles when three fell through the ice at about 6:45 p.m. on December 26th. The other two made it safely to the shore. The bodies of 25 year-old Derek Flesch of Pablo and 28 year-old Kurt Starkel of Belgrade were found at about 10 p.m.

 

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