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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Details released on Spirit Lake near-drowning

From staff reports
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office released more details today on a near-drowning that occurred Wednesday at Spirit Lake. August J. Marksworth, 16, and Nathan T. Thiers, 15, were at the lake’s Mill Pond area around 4:40 p.m. when they decided to wade across, a news release from the sheriff’s office said. Most of the area is four to five feet deep, but parts of it are up to eight feet deep. As they were wading across, Marksworth stepped into an area that was about eight feet deep. The boy is not a good swimmer nor is he able to tread water, family members told deputies. Thiers tried to pull Marksworth to shallower water, but both boys became tired and let go of each other. Marksworth then sank to the bottom, the release said. Thiers said he was in the water no more than four additional minutes before he was rescued by someone in a kayak. Sheriff’s deputies and Spirit Lake Fire personnel then arrived on scene. A deputy dove into the water and rescued Marksworth and transferred him to the fire boat where CPR began, the release said. Marksworth is listed in critical condition at Sacred Heart Medical Center. Thiers was treated and released from Kootenai Medical Center.