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Investigators: Swift current and cold water contributed to teen’s drowning in Missoula

Posted at 4:16 PM, Jun 20, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-20 18:16:44-04

MISSOULA – The Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office has released new details about an incident on the Clark Fork River in Missoula that left a teenager dead by drowning on Monday.

Ravalli County Sheriff Steve Holton says the 17-year-old male, who was from Sanders County, was underwater for about an hour and ten minutes before he was recovered by rescue crews.

Holton says the swift current and cold water likely contributed to the drowning.

The male jumped into the river after police initiated a traffic stop. He was a suspect in a stolen vehicle case.

Three other teens were detained but were later released.

The name of the male is not being released because he is a juvenile.

The incident remains under investigation.