Montana
Northwest Montana Sees Rise in Drownings – Flathead Beacon
In response to an uptick in statewide drownings this summer, officials say local resources are being strained while many tragedies would have likely been prevented if the victims were wearing life jackets.
Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Game (FWP) Warden Captain Nathan Reiner said at a press conference held at Foys Lake in Kalispell on Aug. 15 that there have been eight statewide drownings this summer, six of which were watercraft-related.
“We’re seeing a lot of calls for service in the last couple of days – we probably had three or four incidents where search and rescue, deputies and Fish, Wildlife and Parks have had to respond,” Heino said.
In Flathead County, rescuers on July 29 recovered the body of 63-year-old Randy Gilpin in the Hungry Horse Reservoir near Wounded Buck. Officials also continue to search for 33-year-old Emily Rea, who went missing in the reservoir on July 16 while she was solo paddleboarding.
Search and rescue crews in late June recovered the body of a 40-year-old Idaho woman who drowned while kayaking on the Kootenai River in Lincoln County and divers on July 3 recovered the body of a Missoula man who drowned at the southern end of Flathead Lake.
In Glacier National Park, the body of a 26-year-old visitor was found in Avalanche Creek while a 28-year-old visitor drowned in Lake McDonald.
None of the victims were wearing life jackets.
To help prevent drownings, Reiner encourages the public to utilize the FWP life jacket loaner program, which are available in kiosks at state fishing access sites, state parks and at the regional office on North Meridian Road in Kalispell.
“We have a lot of life jackets that are cooler and more comfortable – that’s the biggest thing,” Reiner said. “We’re seeing a lot of non-motorized boats and standup paddleboarders where people do not have life jackets on.”
Heino attributes the high call volume to a rise in water sport popularity as the state’s population continues to grow along with a lack of safety knowledge among users. An unusually cool spring and early summer this year also contributes to the high call volume, which caused some waterways to hover around 50 degrees.
On the main stem of the Flathead River, Heino says river users frequently get hung up on strainers, which are woody debris that can trap victims underwater and cause drownings.
“We’ve seen a lot of people on the main channel of the Flathead River in inner tubes or low-quality watercrafts and they don’t have the ability to navigate … there are places to do this, but the main channel is not one of them. We’ve got deep water and logs and a lot of hazards,” Heino said.
Crews have responded to multiple nonfatal water incidents this summer, including the rescue of a 42-year-old male and a 12-year-old girl who were trapped on a log on the Flathead River after their kayak flipped.
As the summer winds down, officials encourage the public to wear life jackets on the water and to carry extra safety gear like throw bags to prevent tragedies.
“[We] are out there to assist you, but it is taxing on our resources,” Heino said.
[email protected]
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 13, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 13 drawing
22-31-52-56-67, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from May 13 drawing
17-18-28-37-42, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 13 drawing
02-06-10-16, Bonus: 16
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 13 drawing
08-13-39-63-66, Powerball: 02
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from May 13 drawing
02-04-13-17-32
Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 13 drawing
21-24-29-42-49, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Montana
Public Meeting at Hub on Smith Concerning Montana Water Call Prompting Priority Administration in Tongue Basin
Wyoming State Engineer Brandon Gebhart announced that on May 5, 2026, the State of Montana placed a call under Article V(A) of the Yellowstone River Compact to fill Tongue River Reservoir in Montana. As a result, priority administration is in effect on post-1950 water rights in Wyoming that divert water from the Tongue River and its tributaries and are not excluded from the compact.
A public meeting will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 18, in the dining room of The Hub on Smith. Attendees are asked to enter on the north side of the building.
The Tongue River Basin has been experiencing drought conditions over the past year with historically low winter snowpack and streamflow conditions. According to the release, those conditions led to Montana’s interstate call and prompted the administration of the Tongue River Basin in Wyoming.
The priority administration will affect post-1950 water rights within the Tongue River Basin, including reservoir storage, stream diversions and groundwater withdrawals, all of which affect river flows. Post-1950 water rights will be regulated off or prevented from turning on. Wyoming hydrographer-commissioners will continue to administer reservoir storage and post-1950 diversions throughout the spring and work with affected water users until the administration is lifted.
As provided in the compact, domestic uses less than one-half acre in area and livestock uses, including stock reservoirs less than 20 acre-feet in capacity, are excluded from this administration. The release noted these excluded rights could be subject to future regulation to satisfy priority calls by senior Wyoming water rights.
Beginning May 5, 2026, Wyoming hydrographer-commissioners have worked to record the current storage levels of reservoirs with post-1950 water rights. Going forward, those reservoirs can continue to accrue storage so long as post-1950 storage gained after the interstate call on May 5 remains in storage until either the water is released to satisfy the Montana call or Montana lifts the call because Tongue River Reservoir will fill.
Reservoirs with unfulfilled pre-1950 water rights can continue to store water and that storage will not be subject to release to satisfy Montana’s call. However, that storage and other direct flow rights could be subject to regulation to satisfy priority calls by senior Wyoming water rights.
The priority administration will be carried out pursuant to state law by hydrographer-commissioners assigned to various portions of the Tongue River Basin, working under the direction of Division II Superintendent David Schroeder.
The Wyoming State Engineer’s Office can be contacted at:
Jack Morey, deputy state engineer, 307-777-5032, jack.morey2@wyo.gov
David Schroeder, Division II superintendent, 307-674-7012, d.schroeder@wyo.gov
Jeff Cowley, interstate streams administrator, 307-777-1942, jeff.cowley@wyo.gov
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 12, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 12 drawing
17-32-35-40-47, Mega Ball: 17
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 12 drawing
04-12-17-24, Bonus: 11
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 12 drawing
19-21-35-38-53, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
-
New York17 seconds agoFlag With Swastika and Star of David Flown on N.Y.U. Building, Police Say
-
Los Angeles, Ca6 minutes agoEarly morning Montebello fire leaves resident critically injured
-
Detroit, MI30 minutes agoWhat big announcement at DPSCD Hall of Fame Gala could mean for Detroit students
-
San Francisco, CA42 minutes agoCasting shade on shadows: S.F. supervisor seeks to bar using shadows to block new housing
-
Dallas, TX48 minutes agoDallas Approves $180,500 for New Botham Jean Boulevard Street Signs
-
Miami, FL54 minutes agoMiami residents sue over land for Trump presidential library
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoBoston has a secret society built on opium money in ‘The Society’
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoDenver weather: Nearing record highs again