GREAT FALLS — The body of missing Great Falls teenager Kendall Danna — who went missing in June — was recovered from Lake Elwell on Thursday with the help of underwater search volunteers who utilized underwater sonar technology.
Gene and Sandy Ralston have assisted in finding and recovering drowning victims since 1983. Based out of Idaho, they have since invested in underwater sonar equipment and volunteered their time free of charge to search for drowning victims.
They have recovered 133 bodies so far, all over the world. The team was out on Lake Elwell for 12 days before recovering the body of 17-year-old Kendall Danna.
"Looking back on it, it seems like we just started yesterday and it's a good feeling to bring some resolution to families — really is," Gene Ralston said.
The team uses sonar much like a medical ultrasound, using sound to create images. They use a heavy tow fish that allows them to pinpoint the source of the sound, which produces a distinct shadow of a body.
Gene and Sany used this equipment on July 9 to produce an image of what looked to be a body at the bottom of Lake Elwell.
Dive teams from Flathead County were then sent down to recover the body.
ORIGINAL REPORT
The search for Great Falls teen Kendall Danna has ended after her body was found in Lake Elwell on Thursday, July 11.
The 17-year-old Dannawas one of four people who was paddleboarding at the lake on Saturday, June 15.
As they were crossing the lake, the weather got bad, resulting in waves up to five feet high and winds gusting to 40 miles per hour.
Three of the people made it to safety or were later rescued by first-responders, but Kendall was not found.
On Tuesday, July 9, a search team utilized underwater sonar and took a photo image of an object that resembled possible human remains.
Toole County Sheriff Tyler Padilla said on Wednesday, that the team utilized an underwater remote-operated vehicle and Flathead County divers attempted to locate the object at approximately 70 feet deep.
On Thursday, it was confirmed to be the body of Kendall, and her remains have been recovered.
Cory Reeves, the mayor of Great Falls, has been assisting in the search efforts, and shared on Facebook: "Mission Accomplished. RIP, Kendall."
Family members have been notified.
