02/02/2026
Earlier today, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit, along with Northern Lakes Fire and Timberlake Fire and Rescue, responded to a kayaking incident on Lake Pend Oreille.
Two adult kayakers had crossed from the Bayview area to the east side of Lake Pend Oreille, when one kayak capsized near the south shoreline. Fortunately, the kayaker who overturned was wearing a life jacket at the time. The second kayaker was wearing waders and was not wearing a life jacket.
Responding crews safely rescued both kayakers from the shoreline. A citation was issued for failing to have a required personal flotation device on board.
This incident is an important reminder that Lake Pend Oreille is not a safe destination for winter kayaking or long open-water crossings without proper training, experience, and cold-water safety equipment. Life jackets and a sound-producing device are required on non-motorized vessels such as kayaks and canoes in the State of Idaho.
At the time of the incident, the air temperature was approximately 40 degrees and the water temperature in the Pend Oreille was approximately 34 degrees. Sudden immersion in water this cold can cause an immediate cold-shock response, rapid loss of muscle control, and greatly increases the risk of hypothermia, even for strong and experienced paddlers. Cold water significantly reduces a person’s ability to self-rescue and makes otherwise manageable situations life-threatening in a very short amount of time.
Thank you to Northern Lakes Fire and Timberlake Fire and Rescue for their quick response and teamwork. This situation could have ended much differently.
