GPS takes visitors the wrong way

BOUNDARY COUNTY — Bad GPS directions led visitors to an unused bridge — and left them lost in a remote section of the county.

The people had been reported on Sunday trying to flag down a train along the Kootenai River by the Leonia bridge on the Montana and Idaho state line near Twentymile Leonia Road, Boundary County Sheriff Dave Kramer said.

Kramer said the four got lost after they attempted to follow GPS directions from an old cemetery to the bridge. However, Kramer said the bridge has not been used for vehicle traffic for a number of years.

After they were reported trying to flag down the train, the individuals were found by Search and Rescue and Boundary County Sheriff’s Office Marine 1, Kramer said. The marine deputies traveled up the Kootenai River and located them just before dark while other search and rescue members were starting from the area of Boulder City in the east side of the county near Katka.

“All the individuals were OK,” he said. “Apparently their GPS indicated that there was a road from the old cemetery that goes down to the Leonia bridge.”

Kramer said the individuals had attempted to drive two vehicles down what is at best now an ATV trail and were unable to drive their vehicles back up the hill. The bridge in the Leonia area location has no planks and vehicles have not been able to cross it many years, Kramer said.