Madison high school teacher dies while hiking in Lemhi County

LEMHI COUNTY — A Rexburg man suffered a medical condition and died while hiking Saturday in Lemhi County.

Larry Prescott, 56, was hiking in Kiln Canyon with Thad Davis, 26, when Salmon County Sheriff Chief Deputy Steve Penner says Prescott suffered a medical emergency.

“He started having trouble breathing, collapsed, and became unresponsive,” Penner tells EastIdahoNews.com. “They were in an area without cell phone reception so Davis had to hike about five hours to call 911.”

Police received the call around 5:30 p.m. A Lemhi County Sheriff’s deputy, personnel from Salmon Search and Rescue and a Clark County deputy responded to the scene. Two Bear Air from Flathead County, Montana, was also dispatched.

Search efforts were conducted until about 10:30 p.m., when a high mountain snow storm temporarily halted the search.

The search began again Sunday morning around 6 a.m. and Prescott’s body was retrieved by helicopter.

Prescott taught photography at Madison High School and was an experienced hiker.

Madison School District 321 released the following statement Sunday:

Larry will be greatly missed as he was a dedicated, passionate and talented educator. He loved his students and his foremost thought was always seeking to do his best for them.

Larry was also a kind and thoughtful person and a great friend and co-worker.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Larry’s wife, Nancy, also one of our teachers, and their family at this time.

Mr. Prescott touched the lives of many in his years with the district and we realize their will be many impacted by his sudden passing. These emotions can be overwhelming and and hard to navigate. If you or your student/child need help processing and coping with these feelings, we have clinicians ready to help. To access these services, call Madison Cares at 359-3300 or contact the office of your child’s school.

A GoFundMe memorial account has been set up for Prescott’s family. Click here for more information.