COEUR d’ALENE — A sailboat capsized on Lake Coeur d’Alene in strong winds Saturday afternoon, and the man operating the boat swam about 300 feet to shore in 42-degree water, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department said. The sailboat capsized near Higgens Point, and a passerby on Interstate 90 spotted it and called for emergency response.

COEUR d’ALENE — A sailboat capsized on Lake Coeur d’Alene in strong winds Saturday afternoon, and the man operating the boat swam about 300 feet to shore in 42-degree water, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department said.

The sailboat capsized near Higgens Point, and a passerby on Interstate 90 spotted it and called for emergency response.

The man, who was not identified by the sheriff’s department Saturday, told deputies he was having trouble navigating his 16-foot sailboat through the wind and white caps and tried to use a small outboard motor to get back to the boat launch, the sheriff’s department said.

Sgt. Matt Street said it was the first time the man had taken the sailboat out.

“I think I would have waited for a sunny day,” Street said. “It was definitely really stormy.”

The outboard motor didn’t stay running and the man called his wife and told her what was happening and to meet him at the boat launch where he hoped to land the boat, the sheriff’s department said.

The man told deputies a sudden gust of wind filled the sail and capsized the boat about 300 feet from shore.

The man said his life jacket was nearby but he was unable to grab it when he went into the water, so he swam to shore.

Marine deputies took the operator back to the sailboat and assisted him in getting it to a dock where it was secured, although still capsized.

The sheriff’s department said the water depth where the boat capsized was approximately 70 feet.

Deputies from the recreation safety section responded to the area by patrol boat. A dive team also responded.