Probe continues into fatal boat crash

SANDPOINT — It remained unclear Monday who was at the helm in a deadly boating crash on Lake Pend Oreille late Friday night.

“We’re still working on that,” said Bonner County Sheriff’s Lt. Cary Kelly, supervisor of the department’s marine division.

Oden Bay-area resident Jay Edgar Smith, 44, was killed in the collision at Sourdough Point and three other occupants were injured.

Sheriff’s officials identified the crash survivors as Eileen Sisson, 61; Sisson’s 38-year old son, Bryan Michael Sisson; and Michael Ryan McDermott, also 38. All three survivors are from Sagle.

Kelly said Idaho State Police interviewed Bryan Sisson and McDermott at Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d’Alene on the night of the crash, but he has yet to see police reports generated from the interviews. Eileen Sisson was flown to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Wash.

Kelly said Bryan Sisson and McDermott have since been released from KMC. Sheriff’s officials were unable to obtain a condition update on Eileen Sisson, but were advised her release from the hospital was imminent, according to Kelly.

“We are in the midst, right now, of starting to conduct interviews with everybody involved,” he said.

The 18-foot Bayliner struck a collection of several large boulders on the shoreline at about 11:20 p.m.

Kelly said the group were returning from Friday’s installment of the Festival at Sandpoint when it ran aground near the marina at Sourdough Point. The vessel appeared to be heading in southerly direction at speed.

“We’ve estimated the speed to be in excess of 25 miles an hour — that’s the (nighttime) speed limit,” said Kelly.

The boat has been seized as evidence. The boat’s registered owner is an in-law of McDermott’s, Kelly added.