Law enforcement officers responded to Black Eagle Dam after receiving reports that a man on a makeshift raft was on the river. KRTV was notified at about 4:25 p.m. on Saturday.
Angela Coupelin posted on the KRTV Facebook page: "Something going on down by the caboose looks like someone is on a wooden raft in the water?!??"
It appeared that the man on the raft did not want any help and was in no apparent distress, but officers worked to coax him out of the water due to his proximity to the dam.
NorthWestern Energy says that recreating near dams can be very dangerous, and highlights several hazardous possibilities :
Swirling water and strong underwater currents at powerhouse intakes
Sudden unannounced water discharges from auto-operated sluice and trash gates
Strong and swift currents over and below spillways
Turbulent and sudden discharges from auto-operated generators
Slippery surfaces on ledges, waterfalls and structural parts of the dams
Strong, deceptive upstream flow in surface waters below the dams and waterfalls
Submerged hazards above and below dams
We will update you if we get more information.
As of 8:45 pm, the scene has been cleared, and there are no officers in the area.
We do not yet know if the man was taken into custody; we will update you if we find out.
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