Two Nine Mile Falls teens drown in Priest Lake

PRIEST RIVER — The bodies of two Washington teens who drowned in a fast-moving stream near Priest Lake were recovered early Saturday.

The victims, ages 19 and 16, of Nine Mile Falls were reported missing at 12:52 a.m., according to the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office.

The department received a call from campers at Lion Head Campground that two members of their five-person party were missing and presumed caught in the fast flowing Lion Head Creek, according to the department.

The victims reportedly entered the creek above the bridge on East Side Road.

Thirteen volunteers from the Priest Lake Search and Rescue and sheriff deputies began a search early Saturday, in the vicinity of Lion Head Creek.

Working both sides of the creek, the teams searched more than a mile of the swiftly-moving creek. A third team searched below the bridge toward Priest Lake.

The bodies of both victims were found before 5 a.m. lying face down in water behind a log jam below the bridge, according to a press release.

Identities were withheld pending notification of relatives.

Alcohol is believed to have been a contributing factor, according to BCSO. The incident is under investigation.