A man who entertained at the Docks restaurant the night of a boat crash that seriously injured Rep. Denny Rehberg and four others has stepped forward in Rehberg's defense, saying the congressman was not intoxicated.

Terry Brick of Kalispell said he felt compelled to refute allegations made by Dennis McDonald, a Democrat who is bidding to challenge Rehberg in next year's elections.

Brick is a nurse who worked for more than 10 years at a drug and alcohol treatment center.

"The reason I stepped forward is because the allegations against Congressman Rehberg were so far from the truth," said Brick, a musician who was performing as part of The Toby Stone Duo at the Docks restaurant Aug. 27.

McDonald has demanded that Rehberg "apologize" for being involved in a "drunken wreck" and his press release got widespread attention from Montana media.

"Mr. Rehberg was legally intoxicated when he made the decision to get on the boat and lead his staffers with him," McDonald charged.

McDonald based that conclusion on an extrapolation of Rehberg's blood alcohol content, which was .05 three and a half hours after the accident. McDonald asserts that Rehberg's blood alcohol level was above .10 at the time he boarded the boat.

In a letter to the Inter Lake, Brick refutes that calculation, saying that a blood alcohol level can be influenced by many things beyond McDonald's ability to know, such as body weight, how much food has been consumed, and metabolism.

Brick said he met Rehberg for the first time that night at the Docks and the two spoke "on several occasions."

As a nurse with more than 23 years of experience working with drug and alcohol addicts, Brick said he would have been aware if Rehberg was intoxicated.

"Congressman Rehberg was not intoxicated," Brick wrote. "He cordially addressed those who approached him. The congressman's behavior was sociable while enjoying the fellowship of the occasion. At no time did Rehberg lose control. He did not smell of alcohol, his eyes clear and steady, his verbiage consistent. We spoke shortly before he boarded the boat. His speech was clear and articulate. As he walked down the dock, I observed him. His gait was steady, movements coordinated."

Brick said he did not meet state Sen. Greg Barkus that night, doesn't know him and wasn't aware Barkus' presence at the restaurant. Barkus was driving the boat when it slammed into a rocky outcropping at Wayfarers State Park south of Bigfork just after 10 p.m.

Injured in the crash were Barkus; his wife, Kathy; Rehberg and two of his staffers, Dustin Frost and Kristin Smith.

Brick said he believes McDonald has weighed in with his demand for an apology solely for political gain.

"It's just when somebody has something said against them that's not true, it needs to be brought forward in the light, and it was the right thing to do," said Brick, who stressed in his letter that he has never contributed money or services to Rehberg campaigns or any other political campaigns.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com