A man rescued himself from a close call on the Flathead River on Sunday evening.

One of four men floating the river Sunday called the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office around 7 p.m. to report one man the group was unable to reach the shore on his inner tube. The caller said the floater was mentally handicapped and had passed down the rive out of sight near Spruce Park.

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office Swiftwater Team responded, deploying its jet boat on the Flathead River. The Sheriff’s Office contacted Two Bear Air, but before the helicopters left the pad, a passer-by told Nick Fister, leader of Flathead County Search and Rescue, that the floater had safely reached land.

“He self-rescued before anyone was deployed and ended up on the east side of the Flathead River,” Fister said.

Fister said the man was not wearing a life jacket.

Fister said that while the river is at high levels due to spring runoff, floaters should use rafts and always wear life jackets. Gravel and sand bars are currently covered by several feet of charging water and trees and other objects can easily hang a person up, he said.

“We were very fortunate on that one,” Fister said. “This time of year the river is pushing really hard.”

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.