Libby drowning victim identified
Peter Votapka dies in rescue attempt
by Duane Williams, KLCB-KTNY Radio
July 29, 2011
The Lincoln County Sheriff has released the name of Libby man drowned in the Kootenai River attempting to rescue a 10-year old girl and her dog.
The victim is 23-year old Peter Votapka of Libby.
A 9-1-1 call led to the search of the Kootenai River for Votapka. David Thompson Search and Rescue used aircraft and three boats in the river to locate him floating in the Kootenai River downstream from Osprey Landing Thursday around 2:30 pm.
Libby Volunteer Ambulance and Advanced Life Support administered CPR and transported Votapka to St. John's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead in the ER at 4pm.
The man making the 9-1-1 call told Sheriff's officers he noticed the girl holding onto a black lab in thigh deep water in the river. She was yelling for help when he saw the dog pulling her back into the river. He saw her go under several times when she released the dog. The man, from Helena, who declined to be identified, had to run downstream, swim out to get her and bring her back to shore.
He told sheriff's deputies she was extremely upset, and told him Votapka was in the river and she had not seen him. That's when he called 9-1-1.
There is no indication why the girl and her dog were in the river.
The incident remains under investigation.
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Story by Duane Williams, KLCB-KTNY Radio, www.todaysbestcountryonline.com e-mail:klcb@frontiernet.net.
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