From Kevin Lewis - This happened on the Owyhee River below the Owyhee Dam. This is not the commonly run multi-day sections of the river but is below the Owyhee Reservoir. There is a nice canyon section below the dam then the river transitions to farmlands down to its confluence with the Snake River.
Search for missing kayaker transitions to recovery effort
By: Jessica Davis
The Idaho News 6 neighborhood reporter with the latest stories from Southeast Boise and the Boise Bench.
Mar 03, 2025
BOISE, Idaho — A search and rescue is now a recovery operation after a kayaker went missing on the Owyhee River, on Saturday, March 1. "The remainder of this search will be the rafts floating down with sticks, basically feeling the bottom of the river trying to locate him,” said Malheur County Sheriff Travis Johnson.
Crews are still searching for kayaker
Search for missing kayaker transitions to recovery effort
By: Jessica Davis
The Idaho News 6 neighborhood reporter with the latest stories from Southeast Boise and the Boise Bench.
Mar 03, 2025
BOISE, Idaho — A search and rescue is now a recovery operation after a kayaker went missing on the Owyhee River, on Saturday, March 1. "The remainder of this search will be the rafts floating down with sticks, basically feeling the bottom of the river trying to locate him,” said Malheur County Sheriff Travis Johnson.
Crews are still searching for kayaker Troy Allen Lukens, who was last seen Saturday after he was separated from his kayak in fast-moving waters on the Owyhee River, with murky conditions making the search difficult.
Sheriff Johnson added, “High water flows, water is murky and dirty. There's a lot of debris in the water, and when that water was at 2,300 cubic feet, it's up on the banks. There's a lot of willows and a lot of trees and debris to get hung up on.”
To help with the search, Owyhee Irrigation temporarily lowered water levels. The river is usually flowing around 2,300 cubic feet per second, but crews managed to lower the water down to 350 cfs, making the search easier for crews. Water levels will rise back to normal by Tuesday.
"We will continue doing shore patrol and monitoring the bank from the road and from the bank as much as we can throughout the week in case that water pushes him out,” said Johnson.
According to the Malheur Sheriff's Office, Lukens wasn't wearing a life jacket, nor did he have the proper paddle.
The sheriff's office emphasizes the importance of water safety. Johnson added, “This time of year, I wouldn't recommend getting on this water unless you are very experienced. There's just so much danger with all the brush and the debris in the water; it's easy to get hung up.”
Those water levels are going to rise back to normal by Tuesday, making the search more difficult for crews.
Lukens, who was last seen Saturday after he was separated from his kayak in fast-moving waters on the Owyhee River, with murky conditions making the search difficult.
Sheriff Johnson added, “High water flows, water is murky and dirty. There's a lot of debris in the water, and when that water was at 2,300 cubic feet, it's up on the banks. There's a lot of willows and a lot of trees and debris to get hung up on.”
To help with the search, Owyhee Irrigation temporarily lowered water levels. The river is usually flowing around 2,300 cubic feet per second, but crews managed to lower the water down to 350 cfs, making the search easier for crews. Water levels will rise back to normal by Tuesday.
"We will continue doing shore patrol and monitoring the bank from the road and from the bank as much as we can throughout the week in case that water pushes him out,” said Johnson.
According to the Malheur Sheriff's Office, Lukens wasn't wearing a life jacket, nor did he have the proper paddle.
The sheriff's office emphasizes the importance of water safety. Johnson added, “This time of year, I wouldn't recommend getting on this water unless you are very experienced. There's just so much danger with all the brush and the debris in the water; it's easy to get hung up.”
Those water levels are going to rise back to normal by Tuesday, making the search more difficult for crews.
Kayaker believed dead after Owyhee River mishap on Saturday
- By Steven Mitchell - The Malheur Enterprise
- March 2, 2025
First responders are searching for a kayaker who is feared dead after he disappeared in the Owyhee River on Saturday, March 1. Malheur County Sheriff Travis Johnson said first responders searched late into the evening from the shore on Saturday after witnesses saw Troy Allen Lukens, 56, get separated from his kayak below Snively Hot Springs, below the Owyhee Dam and above the community of Owyhee Junction.
Johnson said the witnesses attempted to rescue Lukens, but high water with swift currents impeded their efforts. Lukens, listed as a transient, was still missing as of 3 p.m. Sunday, according to Johnson.
Several agencies helped the sheriff’s office search for Lukens from the bank of the river on Saturday, according to Johnson.
On Sunday, the search for Lukens included a drone, jet ski and swift water patrol from agencies that included Ontario Fire and Rescue and Adrian Quick Response Unit, along with Fruitland, Payette and New Plymouth rescue teams, according to Johnson.
This weekend, the Owyhee Irrigation District began releasing water from the reservoir into the river. Johnson said that on Monday, management from the irrigation district would drop flows into the river for about 24 hours. He said this would provide better conditions for first responders to locate Lukens. Johnson said flows from the river are about 2,300 cubic feet per second.
He said Lukens was dropped off at Snively Hot Springs by his girlfriend. She asked him not to go into the water, according to the sheriff’s office.
The body of missing kayaker recovered from Owyhee River
The Malheur County Sheriff's Office found the body of Troy Allen Lukens on Monday.
Search and rescue teams from Oregon and Idaho are now in recovery mode after a 56-year-old kayaker went missing on the Owyhee River near Snively Hot Springs.
By Tracy Bringhurst
Published: April 14, 2025
MALHEUR COUNTY, Ore. — The body of a missing kayaker was recovered from the Owyhee River after a six-week search today. Troy Allen Lukens, who was described as transient, had been missing since March 1, when he launched a kayak into the Owyhee River during high water flows. His body was found on April 10, according to the Malheur County Sheriff's Office (MCSO).
"The Malheur County Sheriff's Office extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Lukens during this difficult time," stated the MCSO in a released statement. "We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to the numerous agencies that responded initially to assist in the search, as well as the dedicated members of our Office who continued to monitor the situation and remained ready to respond as needed."
