Deputies save driver in Hayden Lake rescue

HAYDEN - A Kootenai County sheriff's deputy on routine patrol helped save a man's life late Thursday night.

According to a press release:

Deputy Cox was conducting some routine patrols at the Honeysuckle Boat Launch around 10 p.m. Thursday on Hayden Lake. During the Security Check at the boat launch, he observed a vehicle travel into the boat launch/beach parking lot. The vehicle continued through the parking lot, down the boat launch and drove into the water.

Immediately, the Deputy asked for more assistance, and the Dive Rescue Team was paged out. Two Deputies arrived to the launch within minutes.

As they approached the vehicle in the water, they observed a male in the driver’s seat struggling to get out. Without hesitation, Deputy Ragan, Deputy Perry and Deputy Cox jumped into the water.

As they were attempting to open the door to the truck, the truck began slipping down the ramp and further into the water. The Deputies were eventually able to get the door open and remove the male subject from the vehicle before the truck was fully submerged.

The driver was identified as Henry W. Scheller, a 91-year-old male from CDA. He was treated at the scene until medical arrived and was transported to Kootenai Health for hypothermia.

The investigation determined that alcohol was not a factor and that the male was just confused and lost. The water temperature of Hayden Lake was 37 degrees and the air temperature at the time was 21 degrees.

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank these Deputies for their heroic actions.