Name released of Helena man who drowned at Hauser Lake

The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office released the name Wednesday of the man who drowned at Hauser Lake on Sunday.

Wayne Harris, 58, of Helena was test driving a jet ski fully clothed when a women he was with, Stormie Cooke, 51, fell off when it turned sharply. Harris was trying to help her when he fell off himself into the water. The wind blew the jet ski away as they were trying to catch it. Cooke knew how to swim, but Harris did not, authorities said.

Charlie Weber was at her residence on Hauser Lake with friends and family when she spotted the two people struggling in the “white-capped” water.

“We were only down there for about five to 10 minutes when the accident happened right in front of us about 100 yards out from my dock,” Weber said.

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Weber saw that the two were struggling and that they didn’t have life jackets. She put her life jacket on, grabbed another life jacket and started swimming out toward the people. Cooke was closer to the shore, and Weber laid the life jacket out for her and her small

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