SANDPOINT, Idaho — A 7-year-old boy died after a houseboat capsized on Lake Pend Oreille on August 1, according to the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office.
The 1968 houseboat was traveling west out of Johnson Creek at approximately 3:47 p.m. with three adults and four children when it began to list heavily to the left.
The operator turned around to return to Johnson Creek, but the boat capsized and trapped the occupants inside.
The operator kicked a door open and helped the other occupants escape. Responders from Clark Fork Fire and Clark Fork Ambulance arrived via a Good Samaritan’s boat.
A 7-year-old boy was found unconscious and not breathing. Responders initiated CPR.
The boy, identified as William L. Long of Sandpoint, Idaho, was airlifted to Kootenai Health but was pronounced deceased.
Four other occupants were transported to Bonner General Hospital or treated and released. One adult and two children suffered significant injuries.
The cause remains under investigation.
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