Drowning victim recovered in lake
The body of the Canadian man who drowned in Whitefish Lake on April 7 was recovered by divers six days later after specialized underwater search equipment pinpointed his location.
Seamus Brandan Daley, 26, of Lethbridge, Alberta, was with another man in a canoe about 200 yards from shore, not far from Les Mason Park, when the boat tipped over.
He and his companion tried to swim to shore, but Daley sank beneath the surface before friends on boogie boards could come to their aid. The two were members of a bachelor party from Lethbridge, Alberta.
Flathead County Patrol Lieutenant Dave Leib said alcohol use appeared to be a factor, but as of Monday, toxicology results were not back from the crime lab in Missoula. Leib also said that statements from the parties involved indicated the two men in the canoe were not wearing life jackets.
Flathead search and rescue teams and divers were unable to locate Daley's body despite several days of searching, including use of side-scanning sonar. Daley's family then contacted a firm with more sensitive equipment that is well known for its work in locating drowning victims.
Ralston and Associates, from Boise, Idaho, the company that helped in the search for remains in the high-profile Laci Peterson murder case, used an underwater robotic vehicle to look for Daley on April 12.
According to Whitefish resident Jim Stack, who spent time with Gene and Sandy Ralston while they were here, this was the 41st victim the couple has recovered.
Stack said the Ralstons used an existing digitized geographical profile of the lake's bottom to automatically guide the torpedo-shaped underwater "towfish" that carried side-scanning sonar to look for the body.
According to the Ralston's Web site, side-scanning sonar uses medical ultrasound technology to dramatically increase resolution of targets, such as drowning victims.
Typically, side-scan sonar is used to conduct searches in 60-to-160-foot wide swaths while moving at about two mph. With calm water conditions on April 12, Sandy Ralston was able to use global-positioning equipment to maintain a steady path along the grid pattern, Stack said.
The resulting images resemble aerial photographs, which can be viewed in real time on a computer aboard the Ralston's boat. Stack said the Ralstons reviewed the images that night to pinpoint Daley's location.
The next day, April 13, divers located Daley's body on their first dive at a depth of about 130 feet. After the body was brought to shore, positive identification was made by the groom-to-be, Jeff Parker, and his father.