KALISPELL — A 17-year-old Tucson girl is fighting to recover after a whitewater rafting accident on the Middle Fork River left her underwater for nearly 10 minutes.
Evie is described by those who know her as a bright, beloved presence in her family and community. "She's a person that people love to be around, she's just the best," her mother, Allison Scoville said.
On May 28, a whitewater rafting accident on the Middle Fork River with her boyfriend's family left Evie fighting for her life. Johan Johansson, Evie's boyfriend's father, said a fallen tree caused the raft carrying the teenagers to flip.
"There was a tree that had kind of fallen over the river, the raft that the teenagers were in ended up catching the tip of this tree and flipping over," Johansson said.
Johansson spotted Evie trapped beneath the surface.
"I saw her, she was right underneath the water, I was trying to get her up but her feet were stuck," Johansson said.
Evie's boyfriend, family members, and river guides worked to free her and performed 40 minutes of CPR before she was airlifted to Logan Health Hospital in Kalispell. Doctors initially gave her little chance of survival.
"At first they said that there wasn't much hope but as soon as they started cooling her, I think her eyes kind of came back and started functioning again so there was a chance that she was going to make it," Johansson said.
More than 2 weeks after the accident, Evie has begun her recovery and has since returned home to Tucson. Her mother said the road ahead will be long and unpredictable.
"We're not looking at days, were looking at weeks, months and we really just believe in her and she's going to show us," Scoville said.
A GoFundMe started by Evie's family has raised over $132,000 to support her recovery. Scoville said the outpouring of support has been a lifeline for the family.
"I mean it's completely overwhelming and like I said, it's keeping us afloat," Scoville said.
To donate to Evie's recovery, click here.
