Saturday, June 07, 2025
80.0°F

Kayaker dies after falling into Yaak River

DERRICK PERKINS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years AGO
by DERRICK PERKINS
Daily Inter Lake | May 9, 2022 8:50 AM

A 50-year-old Idaho* man died after falling out of his kayak on the Yaak River near Troy on Sunday.

Local authorities said they found the body of Steven Koning in the nearby Kootenai River near the state line between Idaho and Montana about 3:33 p.m., May 8. Koning was kayaking with three others when he fell overboard earlier in the day, said officials with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

Search and rescue teams began combing the area for Koning after receiving an SOS message from a GPS device in the Yaak River area about 12:19 p.m. While the individual donning the GPS was fine, he and his companions alerted authorities to the missing man after reaching a phone.

The group was kayaking three or four miles north of where the Yaak River flows into the Kootenai when they hit a rough stretch of water, officials said. Although they tried to help Koning, he slipped beneath the water and they lost sight of him.

David Thompson Search and Rescue, Troy Volunteer Ambulance and Two Bear Air Rescue assisted the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in the search.

*The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office initially incorrectly listed Koning's home state.

MORE BREAKING-NEWS STORIES

Kayaker dies after falling into Yaak River
The Western News | Updated 3 years ago
Idaho man drowns while photographing near Yaak Falls
The Western News | Updated 8 years, 1 month ago
Searchers recover missing woman's body from Kootenai River
Bonner County Daily Bee | Updated 11 months, 1 week ago

ARTICLES BY DERRICK PERKINS

June 6, 2025 midnight

Man sentenced for 2024 standoff sparked by loud music

A man arrested during a 2024 standoff in Kalispell sparked over the volume of music later received a pair of suspended sentences in Flathead County District Court.

Man charged after allegedly breaking officer's teeth during arrest
June 5, 2025 7:15 a.m.

Man charged after allegedly breaking officer's teeth during arrest

A 26-year-old man allegedly fought with Columbia Falls Police officers during a traffic stop in May, leaving one with broken teeth.

Man allegedly kicks his way to a felony charge
June 5, 2025 midnight

Man allegedly kicks his way to a felony charge

After getting drunk at a downtown Columbia Falls bar late last month, a 35-year-old man allegedly wandered over to a city building and kicked several vehicles in the parking lot.