Plane crash lands in Pend Oreille River near Priest River

A pilot and his passenger were uninjured after they ended up in the Pend Oreille River after trying to land their float plane around 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

“We’ll call it a hard landing,” said Bonner County Undersheriff Ror Lakewold. “He misjudged some of the wave conditions and some of the wind conditions.”

While landing, one of the plane’s wings dipped into the water and a float broke off, Lakewold said. Nearby boaters were quickly on scene to save the couple and helped tow their plane to shore, he said.

The plane, a Kitfox, went down about 4 miles east of Priest River, Lakewold said. The pilot has been identified as Don McIntosh of Sandpoint.