Pocatello Fire Department warns against swimming in river after boy gets carried away by current
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POCATELLO — The Fire Department is advising people not to swim in the Portneuf River after a boy got caught in the river’s dangerous current Tuesday evening and was carried downstream.
The incident occurred around 8 p.m. when the boy and several other children ages 9 to 13 were swimming in the Portneuf River near Sacajawea Park on the city’s west side.
The current proved too strong for the boy and carried him downstream.
The other children notified an adult at the park, who dialed 911.
Police and fire units responded while the children walked along the river’s banks in search of their friend.
The children eventually found the boy and helped him get out of the river a couple hundred yards from Sacajawea Park. They then returned to the park and explained what happened to the police and firefighters who had responded to the scene. Firefighters said they gave the children a lecture about staying out of the river because of the dangerous conditions.
The Fire Department said the boy is lucky he didn’t drown because the Portneuf River’s level is high right now and its current is very strong. There are also a lot of branches and tree limbs in the river that could snag a person and result in drowning.
The Fire Department is asking the public to refrain from swimming in the river until further notice because of the dangerous conditions.
Authorities issued the same “do not swim” warning about the Snake River after a man nearly drowned in that waterway in Idaho Falls on Saturday night.
This story originally appeared in the Idaho State Journal. It is posted here with permission.