Missing kayaker found safe Tuesday night

A search for a missing kayaker in Glacier National Park ended happily after the boy was rescued Tuesday evening.

The 13-year-old boy from St. Paul, Minn., had been kayaking on Lake McDonald when he went missing. He was last seen near the middle of the late. His grandfather searched the upper section of Lake McDonald for about an hour, but was unable to find him. That's when he notified rangers at about 2 p.m.

High winds and caused very rough, choppy conditions on the lake. Rangers estimated waves at five to six feet high.

Searchers used boats, a helicopter and land searchers to find the teen. At about 4 p.m. his capsized kayak was found near the middle of the lake.

The crew of the DeSmet, a park tour boat, spotted the boy at about 6 p.m. on the eastern shore of the lake about a half-mile south of Sprague Campground.

The boy told rangers he had been capsized by a large wave and was unable to stay in the kayak. He was forced to swim to the far shore of the lake.

Once there he was so tired and cold, he said, that he got out and crawled into a hollow log to warm up. He fell asleep in the log for about an hour.

The boy was wearing a personal floatation device and a short-style wetsuit. He was treated by a park medic and recommended he be taken to the hospital to be checked after possibly suffering from hypothermia.

Rangers were assisted by Glacier Park Boat Company, Flathead County Sheriff's Department, North Valley Search and Rescue and Minute Man Aviation.

Park Superintendent Chas Cartwright reminds everyone that personal flotation devices save lives, as indicated in this case, and that water-related accidents are the number one cause of death in Glacier National Park.

"Please be prepared for bad and changing weather, swift, cold water, and use caution whenever you are around water in the park," he said Cartwright.

For more details on water preparedness, go to www.nps.gov/glac.