Jared Ritz
Havre Daily News
jritz@havredailynews.com
A Fort Belknap man drowned in the Milk River after being swept over a concrete spillway Friday afternoon.
Michael "Bruce" Yellow Robe, 39, dove into the river less than 10 yards west of the irrigation diversion near the Milk River bridge on U.S. Highway 2 near Fort Belknap, Fort Belknap criminal investigator Bob Ironmaker said today. He was then carried by the current over the spillway into the rough water below, he said.
Two bystanders - a 14-year-old boy and his 12-year-old sister - saw Yellow Robe go under many times, Ironmaker said. The boy sent his sister to get help and jumped in the water.
He grabbed Yellow Robe from the water at least 100 yards downriver from the spillway, Ironmaker said.
"He dove in there and actually swam out to the guy, grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him to the shore," Ironmaker said. "By then, the paramedics had arrived and were performing CPR."
The paramedics were unable to revive Yellow Robe, Ironmaker said. He was transported to the Fort Belknap Medical Center by ambulance, where he was pronounced dead.
The boy and his sister were the only witnesses to the drowning, Ironmaker said. They were at the diversion looking for a friend when Yellow Robe pulled up near them in his car, he said.
After taking off his boots, Yellow Robe jumped in the river and almost immediately went over the spillway, he said.
Fort Belknap law enforcement is not investigating the drowning because there appears to be no evidence of foul play, Ironmaker said.
