SAGLE - Response times and rescue capabilities will be enhanced on the southern end of Lake Pend Oreille thanks to a new Bonner County Sheriff's Marine Patrol vessel.

Sergeants Ron Raiha and Anker Rasmussen launched Marine 6 at Lake Pend Oreille's Garfield Bay on Monday. The 30-foot craft, constructed by Lee Shore Boats of Port Angeles, Wash., was purchased with a $90,000 Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation grant and a local match of $60,000.

The boat will be stationed at Garfield Bay.

The new boat is spacious enough to hold eight people in the cabin and has a wraparound deck that can hold even more people and provide marine deputies with room to maneuver.

The cabin's forward-sloping windscreen provides better visibility and less glare.

Raiha and others have spent the last several months customizing the interior and exterior to suit the department's needs.