Man drowns in Priest River

PRIEST RIVER — A 65-year-old Bonner County man drowned Saturday after falling out of his canoe on a fast-moving stretch of the Priest River, according to Bonner County Sheriff’s Office officials.

Lawrence Fryberg fell victim to a river that is running higher and faster than usual, catching canoeists and kayakers off guard, officials said.

The sheriff’s office said Fryberg drowned near the McAbee Falls area of the river, near Eight Mile Rapid. He was canoeing with his wife, son and several others when the accident happened.

Officials said members of the group were in various, non-motorized watercrafts and, when they reached a section of rapids just north of the Gunsmoke Road area, all of the vessels capsized in the rough water.

Fryberg was last seen hanging on to the canoe after it flipped. His body was later found by another unidentified group of four rafters. Officials said the members of the second party found the unoccupied, capsized canoe floating down the river in the same area.

They were able to pull Fryberg out of the water onto the shore, where they discovered he was deceased, the officials said.

According to Bonner County, the Fryberg group was not experienced in rafting and were unaware of the severity of the rapids. All of the members in this party, including the victim, were wearing personal floatation devices.

While the river looks calm near the boat launch along the Priest River near McAbee Falls, officials said it’s a different story a few miles downsteam. A sign has gone up warning rafters of the potentially dangerous rapids.