Fernan Lake accident victim’s condition improves

The condition of 1-year-old River Deshazer has been upgraded from critical to serious at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center. Authorities said the toddler spent about 15 minutes underwater following an accident Sunday on Fernan Lake Road. The girl’s brother, Evan Deshazer, 5, was pronounced dead Sunday at Kootenai Medical Center. The children’s parents, Sarah and Michael Deshazer, escaped their submerged Dodge Durango after it went off Fernan Lake Road into the lake. They were not, however, able to reach their children in the murky 12-foot-deep water, authorities said. An autopsy was scheduled to be conducted on Evan Deshazer Monday. A spokesman for the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said results had not been returned yet.