HELENA — Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton has identified the Helena teen who died while swimming at Canyon Ferry Lake over the weekend as 17-year-old Elias Bowe.
Authorities say it happened Saturday, near the Crittenden day-use area on the west side of the lake. Dutton says Bowe and several other people had been swimming when the wind came up and the waves became larger. The people who had been with him called 911 just after 4 p.m., to report they hadn’t seen him for about 10 minutes.
Dutton said emergency responders recovered Bowe's body in about 15 feet of water, after a two-hour search. He said the official cause of death will not be determined until after an autopsy in Missoula.
The sheriff's office Water Emergency Team, divers from Lewis and Clark Search and Rescue and the Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Department responded to the lake.
Authorities are asking people to be careful when swimming in cold water, and they recommend those who are not experienced swimmers wear life jackets.
