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The man who drowned in the Missouri River near Hardy Creek on Saturday afternoon has been identified as 68-year old Jerry Pohlman of Helena.

Pohlman was a professor of Economics and the chair of the Business, Accounting, and Economics Department at Carroll College.

According to Fire Chief Kendall Kalnbach of the Cascade Volunteer Fire Department, Pohlman and three others were rafting near Tower Rock State Park at around 3:30 Saturday when their raft hit a column on the I-15 bridge and capsized.

None of the occupants in the raft were wearing life jackets. Three of the rafters made it out of the water, but Pohlman apparently hit his head on a rock and drowned.

Crews were able to pull him out about 1/8 mile down the river, where he was pronounced dead on scene.

The other occupants were treated for possible hypothermia by Great Falls Emergency Services.

Mercy flight, Cascade Fire, Cascade County Search and Rescue, I-15 QRU, and Fish and Game were also dispatched to the accident.

Alcohol was not a factor in the drowning.

Pohlman's biography at the Carroll College website reads:

Jerry Pohlman is Professor of Economics and chair of the Business, Accounting, and Economics Department at Carroll College. Dr. Pohlman's career in economics has included academic, government, and business positions in Buffalo, New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Seattle. He earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees in economics from the University of Iowa and his Ph.D. from Cornell University. In addition to academic degrees, Dr. Pohlman has earned NASD Series 7, 24, 27, 63, and 65 securities licenses.

Dr. Pohlman was a professor of economics at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York prior to joining the State University of New York in Buffalo. He then served as an economist with the Cost of Living Council in Washington, D.C. and a Principal with Arthur Young & Co. in New York City. He later served as Chief Economist of three major banks in California before moving to Seattle to become Chairman and CEO of Pacific First Bancorp.

Under his management, Pacific First grew from a $2.5 billion institution to a $9 billion savings bank with 150 branches throughout Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada. Following the sale of the bank to Royal Trust Co. of Toronto, CA, Dr. Pohlman has focused his academic and business interests on economic analysis and investment management.

Jerry's academic interests are macro and international economics, money and banking, and financial markets. Outside of his work, he is an avid photographer, enjoys hiking and horseback riding, and visiting his children and grandchildren as much as possible. Jerry and his wife Betty recently relocated to Montana and reside in Helena.