3 drown in boating accident in Henrys Fork
July 2, 2023
Mary Boyle, EastIdahoNews.com
Peggy Jeppesen, EastIdahoNews.com
UPDATE:
Three people drowned in the Henrys Fork, north of St. Anthony Sunday afternoon. Three of their companions are safe. Fremont County Sheriff Len Humphries told EastIdahoNews.com the group of six adults were floating the river in a raft. The trouble came when the raft went over a diversion dam.
Diversion dams have turbulence under them that act as a “sideways whirlpool,” said Humphries. People get caught in the current and go around and around. It is very difficult to get out. Three of the six managed get to safety. One of them, a male, called for help from the river bank.
His call came into dispatch at about 2 p.m. Fremont County deputies, St. Anthony Police Department, EMS and Fremont County Search and Rescue all responded. Even reserve officers who weren’t on shift came to help, Humphries said. “We always hope to rescue people,” he said, “not recover them.” The names and ages of the deceased are not being released at this time pending notification of families. Humphries confirmed that all the boaters were from eastern Idaho.
ST. ANTHONY — Two people drowned and a third person is missing in the Henry’s Fork north of St. Anthony. Emergency crews rushed to the Fun Farm Bridge between St. Anthony and Ashton Sunday afternoon. Fremont County Sheriff deputies closed 2650 East to all traffic as Fremont County Search and Rescue teams scoured the river for any sign of the missing person.
Sheriff Len Humphries tells EastIdahoNews.com two people drowned in the water. Their names have not been released and details surrounding the incident are under investigation. A helicopter landed in the area and was observed circling in the air for much of the afternoon. Watch video of it leaving the scene in the player above.
This is a developing story. We will update this story with more information as we receive it.
Three drown floating the Snake River near Fun Farm Bridge
By LISA SMITH, Rexburg, ID Standard Journal
July 2, 2023
Three young adults drowned Sunday afternoon after the rubber raft they were riding in became trapped in a diversion dam near Fun Farm Bridge. They were with a group of six people.
A float trip down the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River near Fun Farm Bridge ended in tragedy Sunday afternoon after three people drowned.
The three victims were in their 20s and were part of a group of six people. They were floating in a rubber raft when it became trapped downstream of the diversion dam, said Fremont County Sheriff Len Humphries.
Fremont County’s 911 dispatch received a call for help from the group around 2 p.m., he said.
“They went over the diversion dam,” he said. “There’s a tremendous amount of turbulence on the downstream side, and it’s hard to get out of. They get trapped. (The turbulence) grabs them and keeps them under there. They get caught in that undertow and can’t get out of it.”
Police have identified the victims as Kaede Butikofer, 23, of Idaho Falls; Lyle Faulkner, 28, of Blackfoot; and Jasmine Flores, 28 of Blackfoot.
Humphries said there are no warning signs about floating that section of the Snake River nor are there warning signs about the diversion dams. He cautioned those recreating on the waterways to make sure they know the dangers involved in floating on any river. Humphries also urged them to wear life jackets.
“I would encourage everyone who is going to play in the rivers to learn about them before they get on them. Wear personal floating devices when they do and to stay away from the diversion dams,” he said. “I would just encourage everyone to be careful.”
In addition to Fremont County deputies, Fremont County Search and Rescue, Madison Search and Rescue, St. Anthony Police and Rexburg Police also helped in the rescue and recovery efforts.
As more information is made available, the Standard Journal will update this story.
Coroner identifies 3 who drowned in Fremont County
July 5, 2023
Andrea Olson, EastIdahoNews.com
Peggy Jeppesen, EastIdahoNews.com
FREMONT COUNTY— The Fremont County Coroner has identified three people who drowned in the Henrys Fork of the Snake River, north of St. Anthony, over the weekend.
Coroner Brenda Dye said the following died on Sunday:
Kaede Butikofer, 23, Idaho Falls
Lyle Faulkner, 28, Blackfoot
Jasmine Flores, 28, Blackfoot
The incident happened around 2 p.m. Fremont County Sheriff Len Humphries told EastIdahoNews.com a group of six adults were floating the river in a raft when it went over a diversion dam.
Diversion dams have turbulence under them that act as a “sideways whirlpool,” said Humphries. People get caught in the current and go around and around making them very difficult to escape.
Three of the six managed to get to safety.
3 drown in boating accident in Henrys Fork
July 2, 2023
Mary Boyle, EastIdahoNews.com
Peggy Jeppesen, EastIdahoNews.com
UPDATE:
Three people drowned in the Henrys Fork, north of St. Anthony Sunday afternoon. Three of their companions are safe.
Fremont County Sheriff Len Humphries told EastIdahoNews.com the group of six adults were floating the river in a raft. The trouble came when the raft went over a diversion dam.
Diversion dams have turbulence under them that act as a “sideways whirlpool,” said Humphries. People get caught in the current and go around and around. It is very difficult to get out.
Three of the six managed get to safety. One of them, a male, called for help from the river bank.
His call came into dispatch at about 2 p.m.
Fremont County deputies, St. Anthony Police Department, EMS and Fremont County Search and Rescue all responded. Even reserve officers who weren’t on shift came to help, Humphries said. “We always hope to rescue people,” he said, “not recover them.”
The names and ages of the deceased are not being released at this time pending notification of families.
Humphries confirmed that all the boaters were from eastern Idaho.
ORIGINAL STORY:
ST. ANTHONY — Two people drowned and a third person is missing in the Henry’s Fork north of St. Anthony. Emergency crews rushed to the Fun Farm Bridge between St. Anthony and Ashton Sunday afternoon. Fremont County Sheriff deputies closed 2650 East to all traffic as Fremont County Search and Rescue teams scoured the river for any sign of the missing person.
Sheriff Len Humphries tells EastIdahoNews.com two people drowned in the water. Their names have not been released and details surrounding the incident are under investigation.
A helicopter landed in the area and was observed circling in the air for much of the afternoon. Watch video of it leaving the scene in the player above.
