Missing Athol man found, treated for injuries

An Athol man who was missing since Thursday night was found Sunday afternoon and rescued by Kootenai County Sheriff’s deputies and Northern Lakes Fire personnel.

Howard Coates, 66, was found at 5:15 p.m. in the area of Pope and Kita roads in northern Kootenai County, deputies reported. He was pinned against a tree by an ATV which had crashed off the roadway, out of sight, and had been in this position since late Thursday night.

Coates was airlifted by Life Flight to Kootenai Health, where he was being treated Sunday night for non life-threatening injuries.

He had left his residence on North Ponderosa Street, near the area of Pope and Corbin Hill roads, around 7 p.m. Thursday on his 2004 Camo Bombarier Outlander ATV and had not returned, propmpting his family to file a missing person report, deputies reported.

A family riding dirt bikes on Sunday discovered Coates and reported the accident to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, which thanked members of the volunteer search and rescue unit, the Civil Air Patrol, Spokane County Air Unit and all the members of the public who helped search for Coates and provided tips.