LIVINGSTON, Mont. (AP) — A boating accident on Montana's Yellowstone River that killed a woman took another grim turn as the search for her teenage son shifted from a rescue operation to an effort to recover his body.
The search for James Anderson, 15, after his family's boat capsized near Livingston led to a two-day rescue effort that included nearly 150 people searching from the water, the shoreline and the air. A stretch of the river from Livingston to Columbus that had been closed to boat traffic over the weekend reopened Sunday night, Gallatin County sheriff's officials said in a statement.
Gallatin County Sheriff's Capt. Jim Anderson, his wife Angie, son James and a daughter were floating the river on a drift boat Friday night when it capsized, authorities said. Jim Anderson and his daughter were able to make it to shore safely, but Angie died and James couldn't be found.
"As the search shifts into recovery, we will be reducing the size of the search teams but the search will continue," the sheriff's office statement said.
Five counties and state officials sent search and rescue crews that included boats, divers, search dogs and a helicopter. The search continued after dark using thermal cameras.
The sheriff's office said Jim Anderson thanked the rescuers for their efforts.
"Family is everything, it's why we do what we do and it's also why it hurts that much more when it's our family," Sheriff Brian Gootkin said in a statement. "We hurt for Jim and his family. They have a long, difficult road ahead but they are not alone. We will help and support them no matter what they need or how long it takes."
