Nichole Bluenshine’s mother hopes her daughter’s accident raises awareness about proper river safety | Billings News

BILLINGS, Mont. – It’s been less than a week since Nichole Blumenshine died in a tragic drowning accident last Sunday. Her mother, Susan Blumenshine, said Nichole has been swimming since she was a little girl, but even the best swimmers should never underestimate the power of the Yellowstone River.

Susan said, “She was adventurous and always swimming – she was on the first synchronized swimming team in Juno, Alaska, in 3rd grade, and she was the underwater swimmer, so she got to be the center of attention.”

She said Nichole was a bright spot in the lives of everyone she knew and now she must learn to rebuild her life, even though a part of her is missing.

She added that although her daughter was young, she had a full life. She said she spoke to her on Friday, but she never thought that would be the last time she would hear from her daughter.

Sisters Katie Desjarlais and Kim Smith remember a seemingly normal afternoon that turned into tragedy when Nichole and her boyfriend were swept away by the river.

“They left here just before the current. She tried to grab my nephew’s sandal and then threw it to her boyfriend. The current was just too strong and just pulled her down. She ended up getting stuck on the log. It was a terrible sight, very tragic. We stood there for a while and thought maybe we would see something come up. We knew the river was just too strong and finally just swept her away. We waited and waited to see if the boat would get through or if someone was walking through the woods. Of course the boyfriend came by and we called out to him and asked if she was OK. Did you find her? Is she safe? He raised his hands almost dejectedly and said he was on his way to call the police and get help here,” the sisters said.

Kim added: “I will never forget her smile… She smiled at me, walked on and before I knew it, she was gone.”

The sisters warn anyone planning to relax in the river to always be mindful of their safety, wear the right equipment and never underestimate the strength of the current.