Rep. Denny Rehberg and four other people were seriously injured late Thursday when their 22-foot motor boat ran aground near a popular state park on Flathead Lake.

The five passengers aboard the boat were listed in stable condition, including Rehberg, who went into surgery Friday afternoon to repair a badly broken ankle at Northwest Health Care in Kalispell.

Kalispell Republican Greg Barkus was also aboard the boat, along with Rehberg's state director Dustin Frost and staffer Kristin Smith.

State Senate Majority Whip Greg Barkus, R-Kalispell, was behind the wheel when the accident occurred between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., officials said. A boat matching the description of the one in the accident is registered to Barkus' wife, Kathy, according to the state Justice Department.

The condition of the boat's occupants has not been released and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

"Last night Congressman Rehberg and two members of his staff were passengers in a boat that was involved in an accident on Flathead Lake near Bigfork," Rehberg spokesman Jed Link said Friday in a written statement released shortly after noon.

"Denny is in stable condition and is doing well," Link added. "His thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved. We will continue to provide information as it becomes available."

Link wouldn't comment further on the accident and Tom Schultz, the congressman's Missoula press secretary, also declined to comment, saying only that Rehberg had scheduled speaking engagements in Cut Bank and Shelby which were canceled.

"Some people are in the hospital up there (in Kalispell), and we're concerned about them," Schultz said. "I don't know any more than that. I really don't."

Jim Satterfield, a regional supervisor with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, was the first to confirm Friday morning that Rehberg and Barkus were injured in the accident near Wayfarers State Park at Big Fork.

Satterfield said the crash occurred between 10 p.m. and midnight and that two public officials were among the boat's occupants. He later identified the two officials as Rehberg and Barkus, the latter who serves as the majority whip in the state Senate.

Satterfield said a group of campers heard the boat crash into some rocks off shore. Three victims were flown to the hospital by helicopter and two were transported by ambulance.

"They'll look into the condition of the boat and determine the speed at impact, who was driving and how many lifejackets they had on board," Satterfield said. "Whether or not alcohol or drugs were involved is a routine part of these investigations."

Erik Iverson, one of Rehberg's longtime friends and former chairman of the Montana Republican Party, held a media conference on behalf of Rehberg's family. He said Rehberg's wife, Jan, and father were en route to the hospital Friday afternoon and that Rehberg was in surgery.

Iverson described Rehberg as tired and sore but in good spirits. He said the congressman's main concern remained on the boat's four other occupants.

"I saw Denny briefly this morning," Iverson said. "He's got a broken ankle. He's got some cuts and bruises and his ribs are pretty sore. He took a good bump on the head."

Rehberg serves on the House Appropriations Committee, which has budget jurisdiction over 13 annual spending bills and controls one-third of the federal government's $2.5 trillion budget.

Jennifer Hing, communications director for the Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee, said much of the committee's work in Washington, D.C., is already done.

"They're done with all 13 bills of the House and there aren't any pending meetings in early September," Hing said. "Of course, our main concern is to have (Rehberg) get well."

Rehberg and Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, are said to be good friends. Lewis wished Rehberg well Friday as word of the boating accident spread.

"My thoughts and prayers are with my good friend Denny and his family and I wish him a full and speedy recovery," Lewis told the IR. "Denny is as tough as an individual as he is a legislator, and I look forward to seeing him back in the saddle on the Appropriations Committee very soon."

Will Deschamps, state chairman of the Montana Republican Party, heard about the accident just before noon on Friday. He said the Montana GOP had extended good wishes to Rehberg and the boat's four other occupants.

"I've been told they're getting the care they need and they're going to be fine," Deschamps said. "We're greatly concerned when anybody is injured, especially when it's somebody you know so well. The state party obviously has concerns when any member of our party is involved in an accident."

Deschamps said any future statement would come from Rehberg's office, not the state GOP.

Meanwhile, friends and relatives of the crash victims continued to arrive at the hospital Friday afternoon.

In addition to the congressman's wife, Rehberg's father was also en route from Billings, and Iverson said that family members of the other victims were either at the hospital or on their way.

State Sen. Gary Perry, R-Manhattan, a good friend of Barkus, told the Associated Press Friday morning that he had just heard about the crash and was on his way to the hospital - which, Oliverson said, has "had tons of calls from all over the nation."

Perry said he knew little about Barkus' condition.

"It's a tragic accident," Perry said. "We're praying for him."

Likewise, state Sen. John Brueggeman, R-Polson, said that "we're just kind of in shock right now."

"We're keeping our fingers crossed," said Brueggeman, who said he's close friends with both lawmakers, as well as members of Rehberg's staff. "Obviously Denny and Greg and everyone on the boat, they're all in our thoughts and prayers. We're hoping for the best for everyone."

On Facebook, where Rehberg has 3,335 "friends," people began posting messages at about 11:30 a.m. Friday, wishing him a speedy recovery:

"We will pray for you to be healthy and stay safe! Thank God you are alive!!!"

"I am praying that all injuries are minor and that all will soon be recovered. God bless!!"

"I'm sorry to hear about your accident; our thoughts and prayers are with you."

Iverson stressed repeatedly in the conference call that Rehberg is doing well. He has cuts and bruises on his face, Iverson said, and "he's obviously pretty tired and pretty sore, but he's definitely the same guy. He was asking questions, making jokes and complaining that the batteries in his Blackberry are running down."

By early Friday afternoon, the Missoulian reported, onlookers in boats were beginning to gather near the accident site. The boat sat out of the water at a 45-degree angle at the south end of Wayfarers Park, where the shore is extremely rocky.

Reporter Martin Kidston: mkidston@helenair.com or 447-4086

Lee Enterprises reporters Vince Devlin, Michael Jamison, Jennifer McKee and Tom Lutey contributed to this story.

Related

• Rehberg in good spirts, ex-aide says
• Rehberg to be released from hospital today
• Prosecutor: Barkus may face charges
• Witnesses recall Rehberg boat crash
• Judge seals medical records in Barkus case
• The law, politics, Flathead shoreline
• Barkus pleads not guilty to felonies
• Omnibus hearing set in Barkus boat crash case