Two boaters rescued from Snake River near Byington Boat Ramp
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KELLY CANYON — Two boaters were rescued on the Snake River on Wednesday morning.
Jefferson County Dispatch received a call around 9:30 a.m. about a boating accident, Central Fire Districts’s chief, Carl Anderson, said in a news release. The accident had taken place between Byington Boat Ramp and the Great Feeder Headgates Diversion, Anderson said. The area is above the Heise area, by the Kelly Island Campground.
Several agencies responded to the call, according to Anderson, including Bonneville County Deputies Dive and Swift Water Team; Idaho Falls Ambulance; Jefferson County Deputies; Central Fire’s Ririe Quick Response Unit; Central Fire Technical Rescue Team; and the Great Feeder Watermaster.
“Bonneville and Jefferson launched their boats at Byington Boat Dock and came downriver to the Great Feeder Gates,” Anderson said. “Central Tech Rescue, Ririe QRU and the Dive and Swift Water deputies went to the Great Feeder.”
With rescuers in place, the watermaster lowered the flow gate to slow the flow of water inside the diversion section, he said.
The two unidentified males were still in their drift boat. It had been sucked into one of the diversion gates of the Feeder Canal.
“Tech Rescue set up a haul system from above the boat to lift the victims out and up onto the bridge,” Anderson said.
Anderson said the river was extremely swift and kept the boat pinned against the flow gate.
“After the victims were lifted out of their boat, the Bonneville County boat was able to tow the drift boat back upriver to Byington Boat Dock,” Anderson stated.
There were no injuries. Anderson said all responders worked well together to make the rescue a success.
