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HomeMy Public PortalAboutBoating and Boating AccidentsPOISE, IDAHO, TUESDAY MORNING, JULY 4, 1961 DRAGGING OPERATIONS began Monday morning in an attempt to recover the body of Wayne R. Rife, Caldwell cattle buyer, who apparently drowned in Payette Lake Sun- day when his small fishing craft was struck broadside by a motor boat. Five Perrdiail6AMCall Perish in Salmon Rapids When Jed Boat Swamps RIGGINS IP searched Monday fq the boes of five members bbbbbff��� a Mc . all family, including three child en, who drowned when their jet - powered boat swamped Sunday in a Salmon River rapids. "It wasn't 60 seconds from the started it it sG m rted until it was all over," said Rex McKenney, Portland, Ore., who saw the tragedy from the shore. Drowned were his brother, I Dwight C. (Lucky) McKenney,' 42, McCall, his mother, Mrs. Edith McKenney Wade, 68, Pla-, centia, Calif., and his brother's three small children, Ross Clay- ton, three months, Deborah, 18 months, and Mike, two years. Only one occupant of the boat survived. Gloria McKenney, 38, mother of the children, was pulled from the water by her brother-in-law with the help of his wife, Beverly, 35. been `ug�a� • rot�her 2; --,---about `uvu.t Ar uea r +r 4tou aaani a raw egam p ecr �Q puo ii. a r a it iCep 3 a4en Baal t a saui Sa V4 a1��� tlf0 • -J-Jag r .1sufe8e Ularsnur 'Et . . O p p t: e pppyY u o 8 a d � ? Q_�argp� jsui g su�j9�jl McKenney said he and his wife, his son Steven, 15, and his brother's other child, Ju- dith, 14, got out of the boat moments before to lighten the load. They watched from shore and McKenney took pictures as the boat started up the difficult Dried Meat Rapids. McKenney said it appeared the boat stopped, probably be- cause of power failure. "The boat didn't capsize," he said. "It just swamped. When the engine stopped the nose dug in and that brought water over the bow. Then it filled with wa- ter. Once he lost his motor he had no control over it." McKenney said the boat went under within a minute. He and the others on shore ran about a quarter of a mile down the bank where he went into the water. Hanging onto a tree limb', held by his wife on shore, he'i was able to reach his sister-in- law. "She was the only one I could get to and she was just about done. My brother went under when I was about 10 feet from him.;" McKenney said someone on the shore saw his mother in the water before she went down. She appeared to be holding on to one of the children. The other children were never seen after the boat went down. McKenney said three -month - old Ross was in a crib under the transom. "It should be a state law that anyone going up that river must wear a life jacket" said McKenney. "None of them had one. If they had life jackets they might have all been saved." H rum thr ge ge ra! of� `/"(6d*I> /°/19/PJ> Valley officials identify kayak accident victim A British Columbia man who died Monday while kayaking the Secesh River between McCall and Yellow Pine has been identified, the Valley County Sheriff's De- partment reported Wednesday. Dane Wray, 36, from Powell River, was kayaking with friends on the river when he apparently flipped the kayak and drowned, a dispatcher said. The incident occurred about 41h miles up the river from Lick Creek Road when he died, the dis- patcher said. No other details of the fatal ac- • cident were available Wednesday night. 71 Idaho 394"-a7Lnsmctrt . y 2_ MCCALL Man, 61, found dead in lake after people see boat adrift The body of a 61-year-old man was pulled from Payette Lake on Saturday afternoon, authorities said. The man, whose name was not released, apparently drowned dur- ing a fishing trip on the lake, a dispatcher for the Valley County Sheriff s Department said. The dispatcher said the death remained under investigation. Witnesses saw a boat drifting on the lake shortly before 11 a.m. Saturday and contacted authori- ties. The body was recovered at 3:30 p.m. "'he Alvocale gumnfek /943 Cascade youth drowns in incident below Cascade Dam CASCADE — An 18-year-old Cascade man drowned late Wednesday afternoon after he slipped and fell into the North Fork of the Payette River be- low Cascade Dam. According to Cas- cade Police Chief Britt Durfee Jason Aschen- brenner died after he and two of his friends spent most of Wednes- day afternoon together and decided to go kneeboarding under the Lakeway bridge that leads from Idaho High- way 55 up to Cascade Dam and Crown Point. He said Aschenbrenner watched while his friends surfed on the board, which was tied to the bridge by a rope. As they were getting ready to leave and were gathering things up, he said As- chenbrenner slipped while walking along a concrete ledge above the river chasm. The two friends, whom Durfee didn't identify because they were juveniles below the age of 18, thought that Aschenbrenner has jumped in to swim, but as they watched, he began to drift in the strong current, Durfee said. At that point, Durfee said the witnesses saw him getting drawn by the current toward some rocks. He said one: -of the friends jumped in to go after Aschenbrenner, but got out when the current starting sucking him toward the rocks also. After checking with fishermen downstream to see if they'd seen their friend float by, the two pedaled to Cascade City Hall to report the mishap, Durfee said. That sparked what became one of the area's largest searches, a search that wasn't culminated until the recovery of Aschenbrenner's body Friday morning by divers. Durfee said he was notified of the incident shortly after 5 p.m. and within 20 minutes had Cas- cade police officers, Cascade City and Rural fire- men, Valley County Sheriff's deputies and marine patrol deputies along with emergency medical per- sonnel on the scene. Before Wednesday evening was out, Idaho Department of Fish and Game offi- cers were also involved using personal watercraft to search the river below the Idaho Highway 55 bridge. In addition, he said a private jet boat was req- uisitioned that evening to aid in the initial search. In the meantime, Durfee said he requested that the Bureau of Reclamation cut the river's flow through the dam from 2,000 cubic feet per second to 300 cfs. Jason Aschenbrenner The water began dropping at about 7:30 p.m. and was kept at that reduced level until 10:30 p.m. That allowed Ray Amold, of Arnold Aviation to fly the river downstream of the dam to search for As- chenbrenner, Durfee said. That first evening, searchers also walked the riverbank between the north bridge and the bridge at the south end of town looking for the victim, he said. Once the river level had dropped, Durfee said that four kayakers were also put on the water to search for Aschenbrenner. The search was discontinued Wednesday night and resumed at daylight Thursday with the arrival ,,,Ff search dog teams from Montana, Ketchum, Nampa and Idaho Falls. The dogs were flown in overnight by the Civil Air Patrol. Dogs searched each side of the river, and one dog searched the riv- er from a rowboat. Divers also arrived at the scene and checked out several sections of the river around the bridge that search dogs indicated might hold Aschenbren- ner's body. But those efforts were without success. He said divers described the diving as very haz- ardous because of debris and the strong currents moving through the chasm and around the bridge pilings. Divers again began searching the area around the bridge Friday morning and after about three and a half hours located Aschenbrenner's body in the late morning an eddy just to the southeast of the bridge in about 15 to 18 feet of water. The body was recovered about 300 yards downstream from where Aschenbrenner fell into the river, he said. Durfee said he's warned young people about the dangers of playing in that section of river below the dam's spillway throughout the summer. He said the safety issues concern him, and "it concerns me there are parents in town who don't know their children are there." Durfee said there is nothing good about Mi. tragedy, but the one good thing that could come of it is that if it deters others from using that section of the river for recreating. y a /-/Vie - � U 1 � 21, l999 5 hurt when jet ski, pontoon boat collide BY ROGER PHILLIPS The Star -News Five people were taken to McCall Memorial Hospital on Saturday after a collision on Payette Lake between a jet ski and a pontoon boat loaded with passengers. The five injured persons, includ- ing the jet ski driver and a passenger, were treated at the hospital for cuts, scrapes and bruises and later released. Roger Folwell, camp manager of Quaker Hill camp in McCall, was piloting a 32-foot pontoon boat with 16 passengers when he said a rented jet ski overtook them about 4:15 p.m. near the Picnic Point area on the west side of the lake. The jet ski was operated by Paul Seaman III, 34, Boise, who was car- rying a passenger, Wendi Hughes, 25, of Boise, according to the Valley County Sheriff's Office. Folwell said the jet ski went out of control after jumping a wake. The craft turned 180 degrees and struck the front of a pontoon, sending the craft onto the pontoon boat. Folwell estimated the jet ski launched eight feet into the air and sailed 20 feet before crashing down on the boat's deck. "He hit us full throttle. He didn't back out of it a bit," Folwell said. "It was amazing, a miracle no one got killed." Folwell said that both Seaman and Hughes were thrown from the jet ski while it was airbome and they landed among the passengers of the pontoon boat. The jet ski flew over the top of three sunbathers before it landed, strik- ing one small girl and knocking an- other girl overboard. "If it would have landed directly on someone, we would have been in real trouble," Folwell said. The jet ski hit near the steering console, which fractured the deck and disabled the pontoon boat, causing about $1,000 to $1,500 of damage. After the collision, Folwell de- scribed the scene as "out of control." "Everyone was screaming and bleed- ing," he said. There were two boatloads of people who witnessed the accident, but nei- ther party approached them to offer assistance, he said. Folwell radioed back to the Quaker Hill camp, and a message was relayed to the sheriff's office. A sheriff's patrol boat, a U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary boat, and employees of Ponderosa State Park all assisted. "We felt real fortunate everyone walked away from that one," Valley County Deputy Darby Helms said. He said the Yamaha watercraft in- volved in the accident is 10 feet long and weighs almost 800 pounds. "It's real easy to get in trouble with them," he said. Seaman was cited for grossly neg- ligent operation, a misdemeanor. If convicted, he faces up to a $300 and 30 days in jail. Lv h vvatie Adv0adlc /c4iy5,igR� Numerous injuries result from Payette Lake boat collision MCCALL — Five of nine people involved in a late night collision between two power boats on Payette Lake Saturday, were treated for injuries at McCall Memorial Hospital. All nine of those involved in the incident, which took place at about 11 p.m. in the Pilgrim's Cove arm of the lake near Luck's Point, were transported to the hospital, according to Valley County Sheriff's Deputy Darby Helms. Helms said two boats, one being driven by Art Hanigan, 42, of Payette, and the other by Michael Hormaechea, 24, of Boise, nearly had a het; : col- lision. Hailey Hanigan, 12, and her friend Michelle Serice, 13, also of Payette, were thrown from Hanigan's boat on impact, Helms said. Both, however, were wearing life jackets. None of the other five people riding in Hormaechea's boat were thrown into the water, but several had notable injuries. Helms said it was estimated that the two boats, both of which had functioning navigation lights that were on at the time of the collision, were traveling at about 25 miles per hour toward each other. Both drivers told Helms they were up "on plane" at the time of the accident. Hanigan reported that he didn't see Hoimaechea's boat, and Hormaechea said he saw Hanigan's boat at the last instant and attempted to swerve to avoid the collision. Riding in Hormaechea's boat were Joe Ebner and Glenn Hickok, both of La Jolla, Calif., Julie Hormaechea of San Francisco, Michael Daly of Elmhurst, N.Y., and Mike Schreck, of Seattle. Helms said Hickok sustained a serious laceration under an arm as a result of the collision, aii injury that required stitches. Others in that boat suffered cuts and bruises, he said. Hanigan broke two ribs when he was thrown under part of the boat's dashboard, and Helms said he wasn't sure if one of the girls suffered both a head and leg injury, or if each of them was injured. All nine were transported to McCall Memorial Hospital in private vehicles, and all were examined; treated as necessary, axid released. A dollar estimate of damage to the'boats wasn't yet available. But Helms said both suffered exten- sive damage. Hanigan's boat was a 1995 Blue Water 20-footer that had about 11 hours on it. Hommechea's craft was 1978 Century that was also in the 19- to 20-foot range. Two Boise men die in Cascade Reservoir Divers find bodies of two workers who went canoeing By Frank E. Lockwood The Idaho Statesman Divers recovered the bodies Thursday of two Boise men who drowned in Cascade Reser- voir, apparently after their ca- noe overturned. Steven Lee Ward, 21, and Iker Martin Goitiandia, 19, were last seen alive at 9:30 p.m. Monday, when they told friends they were going ca- noeing. Dressed in work clothes and boots, neither man was wear- ing a life vest when they fell into the reservoir. The water at Cascade Reser- voir is between 38 and 42 de- grees, and the air temperature drops into the teens at night. One of the men could swim, but wasn't able to make it to shore. "They probably were taken down by hypothermia, more than anything else," Valley County Sheriff Lewis Pratt said. The two had been drinking, but Pratt said he was unsure whether alcohol played any role in the accident. The Valley County Sheriffs Department continued investi- gating the deaths. Ward and Goitiandia were construction workers, perform- ing plumbing and heating work at construction sites near Mc- Call, Pratt said. Volunteer divers, working with a scent dog, discovered the drowning victims. Their bodies were returned to Boise Thursday afternoon. Goitiandia's cousin, Aitor Amuchastegui, said Goitiandia was a true friend, who never said a harsh word. "He was a young man of great prospects who had no en- emies and lots and lots of friends. "He'll always be remembered for that." 7/2517f6 McCall files charges in wreck of boat A McCall man is facing crimi- nal charges after a boat he was operating last week struck a dock at the Sports Marina and sank, cre- ating an oil and fuel spill. Scott Fletcher, no age available, has been charged with failure to report an accident, grossly negli- gent operation of a watercraft and obstructing and delaying an officer, according to a police report. Those charges stem from an in- cident on July 15 in which wit- nesses called police at around mid- night reporting a boat striking the Sports Marina dock on Payette Lake, then three people fleeing the scene, the report said. McCall police, Valley County Sheriff's deputies, McCall firefight- ers and six McCall dive team mem- bers responded to the incident. Dive team workers immediately started containing an extensive oil and fuel spill. The boat, a 1959 Century Resort registered to Rolland and Patricia Fletcher of Boise, sank a short time later. Crews worked two days clean- ing the spill and retrieving the vessel by hooking a large crane to the sunken vessel and pulling it ashore. One of two passengers in the boat suffered injuries, police said. Patty Moore of New Meadows was treated at Council Hospital the next day for a broken leg, while the second pas- senger, Ron Himmelman, Jr. of McCall, was cited for driving under the influence of alcohol a few min- utes after the incident was reported. About $16,000 worth of damage occurred to the boat, with another $500 of damage to a walkway owned by the City of McCall, Deputy Darby Helms said. An estimated $3,000 in costs from the McCall dive team to con- tain the oil and fuel spill using pads and booms also resulted from the accident, as well as a loss of about 50 fish in nearby Idaho Department of Fish and Game rearing ponds, Helms said. 771P Zan )7 1(ey �GlvoCc-l-e Ygeij 9 7 Fourth boating fatality prompts Sheriff's review of waterways programs 5-year-old Boise boy dies in weekend accident MCCALL— A five -year -old Boise boy was killed while boating on Payette Lake Saturday afternoon, when he fell from the boat and was struck by the boat's propellor. Rhea said Brian Greer, the son of Linda Greer, of 930 N. Maple Grove, Boise, was pronounced dead at the Sports Marina dock after being taken there by those in the boat. Brian was reportedly riding in the bow of a 21-foot SeaRay power boat at the time of the accident, which took place just east of the mouth of Wagon Wheel Bay on Payette Lake. The accident took place at about l :30 p.m. Saturday, with Greer's fiance, Gary Wallis, driving the boat at the time of the accident. Wallis reportedly grabbed Greer and hauled him into the boat imme- diately after the accident, but it was too late as Greer was killed instantly. There were life jackets in the boat, but none of the three adults nor three children in the boat were wearing them. Rhea said the investigation into the accident, the fourth boating fatality on Valley County waters this summer, is continuing. He said the accident has prompted him to direct a reassessment of the coun- ty's waterways program "to make sure we're doing everything we can to pre- vent deaths on our area lakes." He has already met with the Bureau of Reclamation about posting signs, par- ticularly on Cascade Reservoir, concerning the strong winds that crop up that can cause problems for boaters. He said he'll also meet with the Valley County Waterways Commission about the matter. The reassessment will help him determine if the department's marine patrol needs enlarging or mod- ifying, he said. "There's some things we cannot prevent," he said. "But, by golly, if there is something we can do to save lives, we need to do everything in our power to do just that." In addition, he said he's going to ask that the Idaho Sheriffs Association pursue legislation that makes it mandatory for young children to wear life jackets when in a boat. That Greer was not wearing a life jacket may not have been a factor in his death, Rhea said. But, he said it is still something that needs to be looked at. S1-afiesman--AU �y s -r iyG7 Five -year -old boy dies in boating accident Death Sunday brings year's boating toll to 13 By Thomas Clouse The Idaho Statesman One of 5-year-old Brian Greer's favorite things was to ride in a boat. He always had to ride in front. At 1:30 p.m. Saturday, the Boise child was a passenger in a boat on McCall's Payette Lake. The watercraft turned as it struck a wave. The force knocked Brian into the water and as the boat swung around, the propeller hit him, killing the boy instantly. "He was a wonderful child," mother Linda Greer said. "He was a sweet little boy who loved boating." Greer's fiance, Gary Wallis, was driving the boat. When Brian fell out, Wallis immedi- ately grabbed him and pulled him into the boat. But it was too late. The boat had life jackets, but none of the seven passengers were wearing them, Greer said. "I've got a 9-year-old son to cope with," Linda Greer said. "I haven't had much chance to think about it." State law requires that boaters have U.S. Coast Guard - approved life jackets on board, but they are not required to wear them. Valley County Sheriff Tommy Rhea issued a press release Sunday saying that the Satur- day fatality is under investiga- tion, but no other details were available. Brian's death Saturday was the 13th boating fatality in Idaho this year — four have oc- curred in Valley County. Last year, the state only had six boating -related deaths. Brian Greer's funeral will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Cloverdale Funeral Home and Memorial Parks. For more in- formation, call 375-2212. Search for Emily Guarino continues RIGGINS — The search of the Salmon River here for the body of Emily Guarino, an 8-year-old Cascade girl who is missing and presumed drowned after a Nov. 1 accident on the Salmon River Road about 22-1/2 miles east of here, is continuing. On Sunday, family members, friends and a team of divers continued to look for Emily, with no results. She was lost when the vehicle she was traveling in with her father, an older sister and younger broth- er left the roadway and rolled down a 75-foot high cliff, coming to rest on its roof in the water. George Guarino, Emily's father, rescued her older sister, Jenny, and helped her younger brother Christopher to safety. But he couldn't find Emily, whom authorities believe was thrown from the mini- van and into the river. Idaho County Undersheriff Jon Stroop said last week that divers were having to contend with water temperatures in the 36 to 38 degree range. "She's little and the river's big," he said of the lack of success in the search. Just how big? Stroop said that one day last week one of the divers involved in the search was at 78 feet of depth in a hole in the search area and still wasn't on the river bottom. "Chances are she's in the bottom of one of those holes," he said. Stroop also emphasized that he considered it a miracle that any of them got out of the vehicle at all after the crash. He said the roadway in the location of the accident was very narrow, with very steep banks. A momentary distraction could prove disas- trous, he said. Emily was eulogized at a memorial service in the Cascade High School gymnasium Friday evening, an event that seemed to attract most of the Cascade community. Bright. Artistic. Creative. Dramatic. Those were just a few of the words used to describe a young girl who got a lot of joy out of learning and discovery, whether it be new words or a new shade of nail pol- ish. Very much involved in the service were mem- bers of Emily's third grade class at Cascade Elementary School. Anne Guarino, Emily's mother, said Tuesday that the search was expected to resume Wednesday with at least one diver involved. l � /�/� Flo ��f�� cT 3.2 - .5yis/ 9 9 Man drowns in Payette River Victim identified as Tennessean visiting in Idaho By Lucinda Doolittle The Idaho Statesman A kayaker drowned Satur- day in the Class V waters of the North Fork of the Payette River below Smiths Ferry. The victim, a man in his mid- 30s, was visiting Idaho from Tennessee, said Sgt. Darby Helms of the Valley County Sheriffs Office. The victim's name was being withheld until relatives are no- tified. Helms said that to his knowl- edge, Saturday's whitewater drowning was the second in Valley County this year, and the sixth in Idaho. Class V water is extremely difficult to run, while Class VI water is considered impossible. According to police, the vic- tim had met another kayaker at the Big Eddy Campground put - in point, and they decided to run the series of rapids down- stream together Saturday morning. The victim's companion told investigators that the victim got in trouble in the roiling waters of the rapids, and for some rea- son left his boat and began floating downstream. The companion said the vic- tim at that point looked "tired and confused." Campers spotted the victim floating downstream from where he'd left his boat, re- trieved him and began to ad- minister CPR. Life Flight responded to the site from Boise at about 12:20 p.m., but the man already had been pronounced dead at the scene by local emergency per- sonnel. Helms said the number of whitewater fatalities is small when compared with the num- ber of people plying Idaho's rivers. But, he added, any whitewater accident usually is a serious one. "We train to rescue people from whitewater hazards, but by the time we can get to the scene, its almost always too late for anything but retrieval of a body," Helms said. Tom Long of Cascade Raft Co. said he heard of the acci- dent shortly after it occurred. "It's a small world up here," he said. "From what I've been told, it sounds as though he for- got the three things you need to run those rapids: skill, familiar- ity with the water and experts making the run with you." Nightmare in The Narrows 1Wo die, 10 stranded when speedboat crashes on rocks in the dark on Payette Lake BY 1VIICHAEL WELLS i he Sfai-News Two people died and 10 others spent up to four hours stranded in Payette Lake last Thursday after a speedboat hit a rock and capsized at the north end of the lake. The driver of the boat, Ronald Ste- vens, 54, of Boise, was charged with two felony counts of involuntary man- slaughter and one misdemeanor count of grossly negligent operation of a boat. Killed were Linda Catlin, 61, of Boise, and her son, Shane Catlin', 41, of Boise. The 10 survivors were treated for hypothermia and various injuries at McCall Memorial Hospital. The youngest of the group, Madi- son Catlin,1, of Boise was transported to St. Luke's Regional Medical Center in Boise and was released from that hospital Sunday. Miya Catlin, 7, Boise, and Quin- ton Winfrey, 37, of Boise were held for observation until noon Friday at McCall Memorial Hospital, ahospital spokesperson said. The 23-foot ski boat with 12 people on board crashed about 10:30 p.m. last Thursday when it hit a rock protrud- ing from the lake near Little Cougar Island, a small island just south of Cougar island and north of Ponderosa State Park. The impact sent 10 of the 12 people in the water immediately, which was estimated to be 60 degrees by inves- tigators. Seven of the victims, including Stevens, swam between 150 and 600 feet to Little Cougar Island, where they clung to afallen tree in the water but still attached to the island. See CRASH, Page A-8 w V Ron Stevens TIMELINE OF A TRAGEDY P Cove © Friday 12:15 a.m. Johnnie Catlin swims to shore, calls For help. Q Friday 12:50 a.m. Six people found clinging to a fallen tree in the water. 0 Friday 2:22 a.m. Rescuers find Quinton Winfrey, two children, clinging to bow of boat. ® Friday 7:41 a.m. Rescuers find body of Linda Catlin, 61, floating in water, well away from the accident scene. Cougar Island and Little Cougar Island 0 Thursday about 10:30 p.m. Boat with 12 people aboard hits rocks. 0 Friday 8:37 a.m. Body of Shane Catlin, 41, found on bottom of lake in 12 feet of water. PONDEROSA STATE 'ARK Star News graphic by Tomi Grote NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK Rescuers describe frustrations to find wreck victims in the dark over large area BY TOM GROTE The Star -News Darkness, a large search area and few clues frustrated rescuers who searched for survivors of last Thursday's boat crash on Payette Lake that killed two Boiseans. "A needle in a haystack," Mc- Call Fire and EMS Chief Andrew Lemberes said of the efforts by his firefighters, EMTs and Valley County Sheriff's marine deputies. Finding the 12 people who were tossed from their speedboat when it hit a rock near Little Cougar Island was dif- ficult. The rescuers were handicapped from the start, as the report of the crash was delayed nearly two hours until a survivor, Johnnie Catlin, 32, of Boise, swam to shore to call for help. Even then reports were sketchy, Lemberes said. "First there was a report of capsized boat with 10 or 12 people, the a second report of people swimming to land and lots of lost people and possibly 14 people," he said. See RESCUE, Page A-8 ON THB BACK PAGE cA-s> ♦ Stevens' record includes three DUI arrests, no convictions ♦ More stories and photos of the tragedy ABOVE CENTER: Salvage workers examine a speedboat that crashed on Payette Lake Thursday night. The boat had capsized after hitting rocks, and the workers had to use a sling and hoist to flip it over Friday morning. Star -News Photos by Michael Wells Rescue (Continued from Page A-1) When the search boats reached the area of the crash, they had to turn off their motors in order to hear cries of help. Spotlights on the rescue boats were of limited aid. "It was like staring into a well," Valley County Marine Deputy Ed Parker said. An air ambulance helicop- ter that had been dispatched from Boise as a precaution was asked to shine its spot- light on the search area, but the effort still came up empty-handed, Lemberes said. Survivors Finally Found Searchers finally found six people clinging to a downed tree attached to Little Cougar Island about 12:50 a.m. Friday, but the survivors could offer little information, he said. "Nobody knew where each other was, and we didn't have an adequate head count until almost two hours later," he said. The six were ferried to shore, where three ambu- lances from McCall and one ambulance from Donnelly Fire and EMS were staged along Warren Wagon Road. It took nearly another 90 minutes to locate the wrecked boat, with only its bow above water, on which Quinton Winfrey, 37, had been holding two children for nearly four hours. "I guaran- tee you he saved their lives," Lemberes said of Winfrey. That left two people unac- counted for, and the search continued well into the early morning hours until rescu- ers took a break. At daylight, the rescue boats headed back to the search area and almost im- mediately found the body of Linda Catlin, 61, of Boise, floating less than a mile from the crash site. Catlin was clutching a black bag, wore a black top and had black hair, which made her detection at night almost impossible, Lemberes said. "That was super hard on my people," he said, noting that rescue boats would have driven past Catlin several times during the night. One mystery is why Catlin did not kick her way toward shore where lights of homes were clearly vis- ible, he said. He also does not know why the survivors hanging on the tree did not move onto Little Cougar Island to take shelter. Despite the problems during the search, Lemberes was thankful all 12 people were accounted for within 12 hours of the accident. "At least that gives closure to the families," he said. "It was like staring into a well. — Valley County Marine Deputy Ed Parker, describing the darkness rescuers faced tar -News ` hoto by Tom rote Rescuers move a bag containing the body of Shane Catlin, 41, of Boise, from a Valley County Sheriff's boat to a waiting hearse. Crash (Continued from Page A-1) One of the group, Johnnie Catlin, 32, of Boise, swam from the island about half a mile across The Narrows to a home in KP Cove, where he called 911 about 12:15 a.m. Meanwhile, Quinton_ Win- frey held onto the boat with one hand and pinned one child between his leg and the boat hull. He also held another child on his chest as the capsized boat drifted south toward Simplot Point, Valley County Marine Patrol Sgt. Jason Speer said. Speer called Winfrey and Johnnie Catlin "heroes" for their actions the night of the crash. Shane Catlin drowned in 12 feet of water at the crash site, Valley County Coroner Mary Heikkila said. Linda Catlin apparently survived and floated for mark rocks above and below the surface. "He indicated he knew how to navigate with those aids and went between the buoys," court documents said. "The buoys do not indi- cate a safe line of passage." Stevens told investigators that the boat was stuck on the rock for a "brief time." It then slid off the rock, took on water and capsized. Stevens attempted to re- trieve life jackets from the boat since no one had a life jacket on during the cruise, but he was unable to do so, court documents said. He then helped people get to Little Cougar Island. Stevens faces up to 20 years in prison and $11,000 in fines if he is convicted on his charges. He was arraigned Monday in Valley County Magistrate Court in Cascade, where Magistrate Hank Boomer set bond at $10,000. A prelimi- nary hearing in the case was severalhours clutchmga zip- set for Oct. 6. pered insulated bag before Stevens was released succumbingto hypothermia, Monday on bond and was or- Heikkila said. Her body was dered by Boomer not to drink found floating near Simplot alcoholic beverages. Point less than a mile south The involuntary man - of the crash site. slaughter charges are linked Search boats from the to the limited number of life Valley County Sheriff's De- jackets on board, the inac- partment and McCall Fire cessibilityof the life jackets, and EMS went to the scene Stevens' failure to properly and found the group onread hazard buoys, and the Little Cougar Island at 12:50 presence and consumption a.m., according to dispatch of alcohol, Valley County logs. The three people on Prosecutor Matt Williams the boat's bow were found said. at 2:22 a.m. Linda Catlin's body was Blood Test Taken found at 7:41 a.m. Friday . Investigators are waiting and Shane Catlin's body was for results of ablood-alcohol found at 8:37 a.m. test on Stevens that could Other survivors were take more than a month, Joanne Catlin, 41, Karleen Williams said. Winfrey, 36, Micah.Winfrey, Stevens told Speer he 10, Miya Catlin, 7, andJanelle maw alcohol at a dinner Catlin, 31 all of Boise, earlier in the evening, and There were no lifejackets Speer reported he smelled for children on board the boat, Speer said. Accident alcohol on Stevens, breath investigators found only after the accident. eight life jackets when the A cooler with 16 beers was boat was flipped upright by found floating in the water. salvage crews, Speer said. Stevens told Speer the cooler was from a boating trip his son took three weeks before the accident. "I found this statement to be incredible considering the cooler we recovered still had ice in it," Speer said in the court statement. Stevens told investiga- tors the boat was traveling at about 15 mph at the time of thgg accident, a claim that will be investigated, Speer said. Other occupants of the boat told investigators at the time of the accident that Stevens was facing the passengers when a "vio- lentcrash" occurred, Speer said. Moonlight Cruise The party departed from the McCall boat ramp at Mile High Marina at about dusk for a moonlight cruise, Speer said in court documents filed with the manslaughter charges. "Stevens told me when they arrived in the area of Pilgrim's Cove he started to get nervous. because it was dark and he couldn't see that well," Speer said in court documents. Upon navigating back to the city boat dock, Stevens misread the hazard buoys that are located to the east of Little Cougar Island that 1)-b/66 670, hpiA Star -News photo by Tom Grote McCall Fire and EMS Capt. Freddie Van Middendorp holds a half -empty wine bottle he recovered from the bottom of Payette Lake near last Thursday's boat crash site. Firefighter Rex Caudle is at left. Stevens' record includes three DUI arrests, no convictions The driver of the boat in- volved in a fatal accident on Payette Lake last week had been arrested three times for driving while under the influ- ence, but none of those arrests resulted in convictions, court records show. Ronald Stevens, 54, of Boise, works for Wayne Ste- vens and Sons, a well -drilling company in Boise. He has been charged with two felony counts of involun- tary manslaughter and one misdemeanor gross negligent operation of a boat in connec- tion with the accident last Thursday near Little Cougar Island. He was charged three times in the past with driving under the influence, though none of the charges resulted in a DUI conviction, Williams said. A November 2000 convic- tion for DUI was amended to reckless driving. Two other DUI charges against Stevens were dismissed in the early 1990s, court records show. Stevens pleaded guilty to driving too fast for conditions in March 1996, January 2002 and November 2002. He also pleaded guilty to speeding in October 1996 and July 2007. Stevens also pleaded guilty to not adhering to a construc- tion danger zone speed limit in August 1998. Stevens admitted to drink- ing alcohol prior to driving the boat on the moonlight cruise with 11 other passengers last week, Valley County Prosecut- ing Attorney Matt Williams said. A blood sample was taken at McCall Memorial Hospital, but results from the tests will not be available for at least a month, Williams said. Stevens said the boat wa: traveling at about 15 mph a1 the time of the crash. Payette Lake 411 crash victims called fun - loving, devoted Survivors of Aug. 13 boat crash called `heroes' at funeral service BY MATHIAS MORACHE For The Star -News Fond memories of the dead and the heroism of the living were both themes of Friday's funeral service in Boise for two people killed in Payette Lake earlier this month. Hundreds of family and friends of Linda and Shane Catlin packed the Emmaus Center at the Cathedral of the Rockies in Boise. Linda Catlin, 61, and her son, Shane, 41, both of Boise, were killed in the Aug. 13 accident that left 10 others stranded on the lake for up to four hours. "Some of the people here did the most coura- geous possible things but none would want to be called heroes," said Ron Woods, brother of Linda Catlin. The adults riding on the boat struggled in the dark against hypo- thermia and injuries to help each other and four children survive, Woods said. The boat, piloted by Linda Catlin's boyfriend, Ronald Stevens, 54, cap- sized after colliding with rocks about 10:30 p.m. near Little Cougar Is- land. Linda Catlin died of hypothermia after cling- ing to floating debris for hours, while Shane Catlin drowned at the wreck site, according to investigators. See FUNERAL, PageA-12 Blood test of driver in fatal boat wreck showed no alcohol BY MICHAEL WELLS The Star -News There was no alcohol in the bloodstream of the driver of the boat the night of the Aug. 13 accident on Payette Lake that killed two people, Valley County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Wil- liams said. Blood for an alcohol test was taken from Ronald Stevens, 54, of Boise about four hours after his boat crashed on rocks near Little Cougar Island at night on Payette Lake. Stevens has been charged with two felony counts of invol- untary manslaughter and one misdemeanor count of grossly negligent operation of a boat. Shane Catlin, 41, and his mother, Linda Catlin, 61, who was the girlfriend of Stevens, died as a result of the boating accident. Stevens had admitted to drinking at a dinner before the night cruise on the lake to investiga- tors of the crash. "Whatever role alcohol played in the boating crash on Payette Lake, it is not a role for which Mn Stevens can be charged," Williams said. See DRIVER, PageA-12 Ronald Stevens i S hitAP6 e 2 ,(2- Funeral: crash victims called fun -loving, devoted (Continued from Page A-1) Stevens is currently charged with two counts of felony manslaughter and will next appear in court on Oct. 6. You never know how strong you are (un)til strong is your only option," Woods said, standing alone at the altar in a beige suit. Woods read written re- flections that the family had prepared about Linda and Shane, his voice frequently cracking with grief. Between reading, Woods reassured the assembly that he knew his relatives were in a better place and reminisced on how deeply they had af- fected the lives of all who had known them. Described as a"wee woman with big hair and gallons of personality," the family's words painted a picture of Linda's caring disposition and loving nature, a great story -teller who always took care of her family. Growing up in Horseshoe Bend and later attending high school at Boise High, Linda worked at Idaho Surveying and Rating Bureau, later ran a print shop called C&M Print- ing, and eventually worked at Mountainland Business Systems. When her parents became elderly, she selflessly looked after them until their deaths, Woods said. Linda loved motorcycles and rode a Harley Davidson, and Friday's funeral was well -attended by Harley riders dressed in black leather. A video series showed pic- tures taken throughout her life from her small town child- hood and the following years with her growing family. Woods noted her youth- ful looks, and expressed his dismay that her age has been revealed after the accident. The family had discovered a note on Linda's desk for the Driver (Continued from Page A-1) "It is not illegal to drink alcohol and operate a boat, but it is illegal to operate a boat with a blood alcohol level above a .08," he said. No charges for operating a boat under the influence will be filed against Stevens, Wil- liams said. "If Mr. Stevens was above the .08 blood alcohol level at the time of the crash, it is likely some alcohol would have remained in Stevens' blood at the time of the test, even given the time between the crash and the d: wing of the blood," Williams said. The blood alcohol test was supposed to take up to a month for results, but the county requested a rush be placed on the testing at the lab, Wil- liams said. Stevens has a preliminary hearing set for Oct. 6 at the Valley County Courthouse in Cascade. Valley County Sheriff's Office investigators are still investigating the crash. The speed of the boat at the time of the accident was estimated by Stevens to be about 15 mph. Speed test results from the U.S. Coast Guardhave not been returned to the sheriff's office yet, Marine Patrol Sgt. Jason Speer said. event of her death, he said. The note's words described her love for Woods and her sis- ter, Debbie, her three children Shane, Karleen and Johnnie Jr., and seven grandchildren Shane Isom, Tyler, Cody, Kealan, Micah, Myah and Madison, wishing them love, strength, and encouragement throughout their lives. Big Heart, Goofy Personality Shane Catlin was described by his family as a man who had a big heart, a "goofy" personality, and was always the life of the party. "He could make you laugh with his goofy smile," Woods said. Shane enjoyed fast cars, Clint Eastwood and John Wayne movies, as well as Discovery Channel programs on monkeys and lions, noted by several family members who thought these animals personified him well. "What a guy we always thought he was," Woods said. Shane grew up in Boise, graduating from Borah High, then worked at Grocery Outlet before becoming a semi truck driver for UniSource and later working at Treasure Valley Coffee. Shane married Joanne Catlin in 1989 with whom he had two sons, Tyler and Cody. The couple would have celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in October. As pictures from his life were shown, the cathedral echoed to a Megadeth heavy metal soundtrack. 7/ii-q//0 ;Stevens pleads guilty in 2 deaths on Payette Lake August 31 sentencing set on 2 misdemeanors BY CARISSA SINDON For The Star -News Ronald Stevens pleaded guilty on Tuesday to reduced charges in connection with the boating accident that killed two people on Payette Lake last summer. Stevens, of Boise, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of grossly negligent boating during a hearing at the Valley County Courthouse in Cascade. Ronald Stevens He will be sentenced Aug. 31 by Valley County Magistrate Hank Boomer and faces up to 30 days in jail and a $300 fine on each charge. A hearing had original- ly been scheduled before Boomer on Tuesday with Stevens facing two felony counts of involuntary manslaughter. But a plea agreement between the prosecution and defense was reached before the hearing began. Stevens was charged with the two misde- meanor counts of grossly negligent boating for the deaths of Linda Catlin, 61, and her son Shane Catlin, 41, during a night-time boat cruise in August 2009. Valley County Prosecutor Matthew Wil- liams said he accepted the plea agreement to avoid an emotional trial for the families of the victims. Williams, who consulted with the victims' families about the plea deal, said that if the case had gone to trial it likely would have lasted longer than a week. Family members would have been called to the stand and been forced to re -live the tragic night, he said. In pleading guilty, Stevens admitted he operated his boat at a speed that was not prudent under the circumstances because he was unable to see hazards, Williams said First Trial Date Delayed Stevens was originally scheduled to stand trial in May on the two felony counts of involuntary manslaughter, but the trial was delayed after Williams dismissed the counts, then refiled the charges. The Aug. 13, 2009 accident happened at about 10:30 p.m. when Stevens was driving a 23-foot Malibu motorboat and it hit the rock in the dark and capsized, sending 11 of the 12 passengers into the water. See STEVENS, PageA-8 Stevens (Continued from Page A-1) Six survivors were rescued on Little Cougar Island after they swam to it in the dark. One other survivor, who also swam to the island, swam across The Narrows to an unidentified home on Warren Wagon Road where he called emergency rescue crews to the scene. Three other survivors were found south of the accident site clinging to the capsized boat several hours after the accident. Linda Catlin's body was found clinging to a floating soft-shell cooler at the south end of The Narrows. Shane Catlin's body was found by divers at the scene of the accident in about 20 feet of water. Stevens given jail time for Payette Lake boat wreck that killed two Judge worries Boise man does not regret his actions in 2009 incident BY CARISSA SINDON For The Star -News Ronald Stevens was given the maximum sentence of a $600 fine and 60 days in jail on Tuesday in connection with the boating accident that killed two people during a night-time cruise on Payette Lake in August 2009. Stevens was also sentenced by Valley County Magistrate Hank Boomer to 200 hours of community service, two years of unsupervised probation and was ordered to take a boating safety class. Total fines and court costs added up to $895. Even though Stevens was sen- tenced to 30 days in jail on each count, Boomer suspended 20 days on each count and gave Stevens credit for three days already served. That means he will be required to spend an additional 17 days in jail. In July, Stevens, of Boise, pleaded guilty to two misde- meanor counts of grossly negligent boating for the deaths of Linda Catlin, 61, and her son, Shane Catlin, 41. See STEVENS, Page A-5 Ronald Stevens Stevens (Continued from Page A-1) During sentencing, Boomer read aletter from Shane Catlin's wife, Joanne, and their two sons. "This tragic accident resulting in the loss of someone dear and special to our hearts has left us in ruins and is again impossible to explain," Catlin wrote. "My partner in life and the father of my boys was ripped from our lives in a single mo- ment without the chance even to say goodbye," the letter said. The families of Linda and Shane Catlin chose not to attend the hearing Tuesday because the stress was too much for them and they are still feeling much pain and the effects of the accident, Valley County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Williams said. Several Serious Mistakes "I don't think for a minute that you're an evil man, but you made several serious mistakes on the night of Aug. 13, 2009," Boomer said to Stevens dur- ing Tuesday's hearing at the Valley County Courthouse in Cascade. "Those mistakes resulted in the deaths of Linda and Shane, and there's been a lot of talk of other causes of this accident, but the primary cause in the judgment of this court was you," he said. The responsibility of the passengers lies with the cap- tain, and Stevens did not insist that those on the boat wear life jackets or that somebody be positioned at the front to keep an eye out for possible hazards in the water, Boomer said. Boomer also noted Stevens did not know the meaning of the flashing lights on the hazard buoy that marked the rock near Little Cougar Island that the boat struck. On a pitch-dark night he ought to have been driving slowly with caution, including the use of life jackets, particu- larly on an area of the lake with which he was not familiar, the judge said. Stevens was also ordered to get a mental health evaluation to help him deal with his grief and with members of the Caitlin family, who feel that he has not shown remorse, Boomer said. Boomer did not order res- titution because of a previous settlement reached between Stevens and the victims' fami- lies for an undisclosed amount of money. Too Fast for Conditions Stevens was driving at a speed that did not allow him to see the hazards ahead of him in time to react, Williams said. If he had hit the rock at a slow speed, the boat would not have sunk and the two victims would not have died, he said. Only a boat traveling at high speed could result in the injuries suffered by some of the passen- gers, including broken bones and a head injury suffered by Shane Caitlin, Williams said. "There's no question that Mr. Stevens did not intend to kill anybody, but the fact of the matter is is it wasn't just an acci- dent either," he said. "This was brought on by Mr. Stevens and his negligent actions the night when he crashed his boat." Family members of the vic- tims feel Stevens has not taken responsibility for the accident and that he was arrogant when he entered his plea in July, Wil- liams said. The family members also do not feel that he has come to grips with the fact that he was the cause of the accident, he said. "The impact is severe," Wil- liams said. "No matter what happens today ... their mother, father, brother can't be brought back. No matter what happens today, it won't heal that pain that's there for them, but it can give them closure." Lone Responsibility Disputed Stevens' attorney, Mark Manweiler, argued that Ste- vens has admitted negligence, is remorseful and has taken responsibility for the tragic events. But Manwhiler argued Ste- vens alone is not responsible for the accident and other passen- gers made some poor decisions that night. "I think to take the view that Ron Stevens was solely respon- sible for what happened is a bit naive and a bit simplistic and ignores evidence," he said. Manweiler argued that while Stevens' decisions played a significant part in causing the accident, everyone on board made the choice not to wear life jackets and parents chose not to put jackets on their children. "To take a one -year -old child out on a boat at night and not put a life jacket on him is shocking," he said. "These are the same people now that want to vilify Ron. Well, they had the ability to make it a safer event for themselves and their children." The decisions of the Valley County Sheriff's Office also contributed to the accident, Manweiler said. The buoy was marked with the wrong warning light, was not close enough to the rock and there were not enough buoys to clearly mark where the rock was located, he said. Manweiler showed a picture of Stevens and Linda Catlin that was taken two weeks before the accident. He said the two were plan- ning to get married on Aug. 7 of this year, at which point Stevens broke down in tears. Tears could also be seen amongst the sev- eral family and friends sitting behind Stevens in court. "This is a case that cries out for (mercy), judge" Manweiler said. "Ron lost the woman he loved, he was in control of the boat when she was lost. It basi- cally ruined his life." Accident Summary The Aug. 13, 2009 accident happened at about 10:30 p.m. when Stevens was driving a 23-foot Malibu motorboat and it hit the rock in the dark and capsized, sending 11 of the 12 passengers into the water. Six survivors were rescued on Little Cougar Island after they swam to it in the dark. One other survivor, who also swam to the island, swam across The Narrows to an unidentified home on Warren Wagon Road where he called emergency rescue crews to the scene. Other survivors were found south of the accident site cling- ing to the capsized boat several hours after the accident. Linda Catlin's body was found clinging to a floating soft- shell cooler at the south end of The Narrows. Shane Catlin's body was found by divers at the scene of the accident in about 20 feet of water.