CRAIG — Lewis and Clark County Sheriff and Coroner Leo Dutton has identified the deceased kayaker found Saturday near Craig as Melvin Scarberry, 56, of Florida.
"The pathologist from the Montana State Crime Lab determined that Scarbberry died from Asphyxia due to drowning," said Dutton in a statement.
Dutton further noted that the manner of death was determined to be an accident.
On Saturday, May 24, at 5:20 p.m., the Lewis and Clark County 911 center received a call about a missing kayaker in the Missouri River near Craig.
The initial call was for a 56-year-old man who was missing. Twenty minutes after the call, a fishing guide and clients found the kayak and a body in the water. Life-saving measures were attempted, but were unsuccessful.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Wolf Creek and Craig Volunteer Fire, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office, and St. Peter’s Ambulance responded.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with the cause and manner of death from the Montana State Crime Lab.
