A 40-year-old man from Missouri perished in the Middle Fork Flathead River Sunday night near Essex.

According to the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Richard Ross, of Oak Grove, Missouri was trying to move gear from one side of the river to the other using a small raft when he fell and was swept downstream at about 10 p.m.

The people who reported him missing had to walk to a residence to get phone service. Searchers from the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and North Valley Search and Rescue responded at 3:47 a.m. Monday.

Search and rescue teams, along with Two Bear Air and ALERT searched the river for the man, but were unable to locate him. Searchers again went out Monday morning and were able to locate the man who was deceased.

This is the second incident on local rivers in recent weeks.

Sheriff Brian Heino asked people recreating in or near water to wear life jackets and be familiar with changing river conditions.