Sandpoint man dies in boating crash

A 52-year-old Sandpoint man was killed in a boating crash Saturday night on Lake Pend Oreille near Hope, Idaho, according to the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office.

A man called 911 at about 10:50 p.m. that night reporting running his boat aground on Cottage Island and that his passenger, Jose “Gomie” Gomez, was thrown from the boat, possibly into the water, the sheriff’s office said in a news release Wednesday.

Multiple law enforcement and fire agencies responded. Sam Owen Fire Department was the first to arrive and found Gomez on land, the release said. Firefighters tried to save his life but were unsuccessful. Gomez died at the scene.

The Bonner County Coroner’s Office took custody of Gomez’s body, and results of an autopsy are pending, according to the sheriff’s office.

Idaho State Police and the sheriff’s office are investigating.

The 911 caller, 54-year-old Sean Caldon, of Sandpoint, was believed to be operating the boat, and alcohol was a contributing factor, the sheriff’s office said. Any potential criminal charges will be determined after the investigation is complete.