4 rescued from Snake River after becoming stranded on rocks

The following is a news release from the Idaho Falls Fire Department.

IDAHO FALLS — On July 18 at 9:35 p.m. the Idaho Falls Fire Department and Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a water rescue at 325 River Parkway, on the west side of the river, just north of the Broadway Bridge.

Four males from Utah, ranging in age from 19 to 21, were swimming in the river when they became tired, rested on the rocks and got stranded. Three of them were on the Falls and the other was stranded on a rock island between the Falls and River Parkway. An individual walking near the river spotted the four young men and called the Idaho Falls Emergency Dispatch Center.

Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office launched a rescue boat from South Tourist Park while Idaho Falls Fire Department’s Swift Water Rescue Team entered the water near the Falls with an inflatable rescue boat. Together, they were able to get all of them out of the river by 10 p.m.

“We are thankful that all of them were safely rescued without injury. We remind people that the river is cold and swift and that life jackets should always be worn when recreating in the water,” states Paul Radford, Battalion Chief for the Idaho Falls Fire Department.