Mike Johnston

Background

About Mike Johnston

Montana River Guides owner Mike Johnston got his start in Swiftwater Rescue training back in 1985 with the National Park Service. Mike has worked in Search and Rescue in Glacier, Acadia and Yellowstone National Parks, as an EMS Instructor for the National Ski Patrol, & as a backcountry and river guide in Glacier National Park. Mike founded Montana River Guides (MRG) in 1994 and began guiding whitewater & scenic rafting canoe and kayak trips on the Blackfoot, Bitterroot, Clark Fork and Missouri Rivers. MRG was the first company in Montana to offer swift water rescue training throughout Montana starting in 1995 and has been the driving force in whitewater rescue instruction for the region. To date MRG has provided river rescue and safety instruction for thousands of boaters, guides and rescue professionals from over 200 different agencies and organizations on whitewater rivers throughout Montana and the west. In 2008 Mike and river rescue instructor Cody Harris founded the Whitewater Rescue Institute (WRI) to expand their rescue classes internationally and develop an environmental spill response team. MRG and WRI have been a resource for local search and rescue teams. Mike volunteered for Missoula County Search and Rescue for five years. Mike was presented with a Citizenship Award for his efforts in a search on the Clark Fork River with Mineral County Search and Rescue. Montana River Guides has continued to assist local rescue agencies with numerous river searches and emergencies over the years. Specialties: Mike introduced riverboarding to Montana back in 1995 & began offering guided riverboard trips on the Clark Fork River. Montana River Guides continues to be the only Riverboard Guide Service in Montana and the most experienced in North America. Mike has also served as a river safety expert and as a whitewater consultant for the Discovery Channel.