Body found on shore of Whitefish Lake
HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 9 months AGO
A boat on Whitefish Lake. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot file)
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES Heidi Desch is the Deputy Editor at the Daily Inter Lake, overseeing coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, community, and business. Desch leads reporters in developing stories that highlight the people, traditions, and events shaping Northwest Montana, guiding content across print and digital platforms. With more than 20 years of journalism experience, including serving as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, Desch is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. She has received multiple Montana Newspaper Association awards, including part of the team leading the Daily Inter Lake to Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. IMPACT: Heidi’s work connects readers with stories that deepen the understanding of the community beyond daily news. | September 29, 2020 9:00 AM
The body of a Columbia Falls man was found last week on the shore of Whitefish Lake.
Timothy Allen Braaten, 51, was discovered just north of the Mackinaw Point area on the west side of the lake on Wednesday, Sept. 23, according to the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office. A vehicle owned by Braaten was also discovered crashed in the Beaver Lake area.
Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino said initial autopsy results from the Montana State Crime Lab indicate that the man died of hypothermia.
“The weather was in the 30s and it was rainy that night,” Heino said on Tuesday morning. “It appears he was out there at least overnight.”
The body was discovered by a passing boater who reported it about 4 p.m.
The sheriff’s office, Whitefish Police Department and Montana Highway Patrol also responded to calls regarding “suspicious circumstances” in the Beaver Lake area and Mackinaw Point the day prior.
Law enforcement officers discovered a vehicle crashed next to a gate on North Beaver Lake Connector Road that was later found to be registered to Braaten, Heino said.
“The car was about a quarter-mile from the body at the lake,” Heino said. “It’s thick timber and varying terrain in there.”
The sheriff’s office is continuing to investigate the case.
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