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Friend drowned in the Moyie River |
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March 11, 2012 |
John Thole on Saturday morning did what he loved
to do on his days off; drive his dogs down to
Bare Ass Beach for a run and a walk along the
Moyie. When he didn't come home as usual, his
wife, Yolanda, went looking, and found his truck
parked in its usual spot, his two dogs inside.
John was no where to be found, and Yolanda spent
hours searching before calling for help. She
called John's co-workers, Jim and Brenda Ball
and Mike Bradley and his wife. At about 5:35
p.m. Saturday, they called the sheriff's office
to report a possible drowning.
Sheriff's deputies, Boundary Search and Dive
Rescue and the Sheriff's Posse were activated at
about 5:35 p.m., and they worked until, at
around 3:42 a.m., darkness and treacherous
terrain forced them to back off for safety.
On Sunday morning, Jim and Brenda were at
Yolanda's house early, and the three of them set
out looking as dawn broke; Yolanda and Brenda
working the bank one way, Jimmy the other.
Yolanda and Brenda found him, lying in about
two-feet of water in the middle of the Moyie
River.
"He must have slipped and fallen," Jim said.
The sheriff's office confirms that the body of
John Thole, 45, was found at 8:10 a.m.; at 11
a.m. he was recovered. Investigation continues.
"This is a sad thing," Jim said. "I've known
John for about 10 years and I've worked with him
... he's a friend."
In addition to his wife, Yolanda, John leaves
behind two teenage daughters.
Their landlords, Jim and Brenda, are doing what
neighbors in Boundary County do when tragedy
strikes, leading the effort to rally support and
solace.
"They're family," he says. |
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