GREAT FALLS — A man drowned in the Missouri River in Great Falls on Sunday, June 8, 2025.
Emergency crews were called out at about 4:20 p.m. after the man reportedly went into the river to retrieve a remote-controlled boat.
Great Falls Fire Rescue said in a news release that the man was seen struggling to swim and then went under the water, and did not surface.
When the man was found, he was declared dead as a result of drowning. His name has not yet been released.
Authorities have not yet indicated whether he was wearing a personal flotation device.
Responding agencies included GFFR; Cascade County Search & Rescue; Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks; and the Great Falls Police Department, who launched an aerial drone to assist the attempted rescue operation.
Earlier in the day, GFFR responded to another incident when a woman jumped from the Warden Bridge into the river.
She tried to swim to shore but quickly tired. GFFR launched a rescue boat to pull her from the water.
She was taken to Benefis Health System for medical evaluation.
