Two kayakers rescued on Lake Pend Oreille after one capsized

Two adult kayakers were rescued Sunday on Lake Pend Oreille after one kayak capsized near the lake’s south shoreline, Kootenai County officials said. The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit, assisted by Northern Lakes Fire and Timberlake Fire and Rescue, located the pair and brought both safely to shore.

The two had crossed from the Bayview area to the east side of the lake when the capsize occurred, according to Kootenai County Recreation Safety. One kayaker was wearing a lifejacket and was protected by that device; the second kayaker was wearing waders and was not wearing a lifejacket. Responding crews “safely rescued both kayakers from the shoreline,” Recreation Safety said. A citation was issued for failure to have a required personal flotation device on board.

Conditions at the scene increased the danger, officials said. Air temperature was about 40 degrees and water temperature about 34 degrees, a combination that raises cold-water immersion and hypothermia risk even when a person reaches shore quickly. Recreation Safety framed the episode as a broader caution for winter paddlers: “This incident is an important reminder that Lake Pend Oreille is not a safe destination for winter kayaking or long open-water crossings without proper training, experience, and cold-water safety equipment,” Recreation Safety said. Officials also reiterated the state requirement: “Lifejackets and a sound-producing device are required on non-motorized vessels such as kayaks and canoes in the state of Idaho.”

No injuries or hospital transports were reported in available accounts. The Sheriff’s Office issued the flotation-device citation but did not release names or ages of the kayakers in its summary. The Marine Unit and the fire departments involved can provide operational details and the incident report if residents or reporters request further information.

The Lake Pend Oreille rescue came amid a string of separate kayaking incidents around the country the same weekend, underscoring varying outcomes when emergencies occur. In Kentucky, firefighters and a sheriff’s deputy used ropes to pull two people to shore from the Salt River downstream of Taylorsville Lake Dam; both were uninjured and their kayaks, with car keys inside, were recovered. In Wisconsin, a Barron County Recreation Deputy and a Wisconsin DNR warden rescued two kayakers from heavy current near the Mikana Dam after a 12:30 p.m. call; both were wearing life jackets and first responders said, “It is highly recommended that they be worn at all times while on the water.” In Florida, a Dunedin Fire Rescue boat crew found and treated a female kayaker for exhaustion and hypothermia after a flip near Honeymoon Island, while a separate search for an 18-year-old continued. And in Okaloosa County, Florida, authorities recovered the body of 32-year-old Wessam Bassam Shaer after he capsized on Boggy Bayou; the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office posted, “Our sincere prayers go out to his family and friends in this tragedy.”

For Kootenai County boaters, the Lake Pend Oreille incident is a practical reminder to carry required gear, confirm flotation devices are aboard and functional, and avoid long open-water crossings in cold conditions without appropriate training and equipment. The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office Recreation Safety division handled the response and is the point of contact for records or follow-up information about the citation and incident report.