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Report ID# 3879

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Accident Description

BYU-I student drowns while kayaking in Jefferson County

Snake River trip with wife and friends turns tragic

ByIdaho State Journal Staff 09/1/2014 A Brigham Young University-Idaho student drowned Saturday while kayaking in the Snake River in Jefferson County. Scott Hart, 26, died after being swept into a tree along the river's edge around 1 p.m., according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. The incident occurred between Twin Bridges and Menan Lorenzo Bridge.

Prior to drowning Hart was in a two-person kayak with his wife Marcia Hart, 26, also a BYU-I student. Their friends Richard and Jalissa Robinson of Sugar City were nearby each in their own kayak. Marcia Hart was also swept into the tree but she was able to climb to shore, according to the Sheriff's Department. Richard and Jalissa Robinson made it around the tree and dialed 911 from further downstream. All four kayakers were wearing life jackets.

Scott Hart's body was located and removed from the river by marine sheriff's deputies with help from state police, Jefferson County tech rescue and the Central Quick Response Unit.

Snake River drowning victim is a BYU - Idaho student

By Brian Morrin KBOI2.com

Published: Sep 1, 2014

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Idaho - Officials say the Snake River drowning victim was A BYU-Idaho student. Twenty six year old, Scott Hart was one of four kayakers boating between Twin Bridges and the Menan-Lorenzo Bridge around one o'clock in the afternoon Saturday. Hart was in a two-person kayak with his wife, Marcia Hart, also 26 years of age. Both were BYU-Idaho students. The Harts' kayak was swept into a tree along the river's edge. Marcia was able to climb to shore.Her husband became trapped under branches. Their friends, Richard and Jalissa Robinson of Sugar City, were in their own single person kayaks. They avoid the tree and called 911 from further downstream. All four kayakers were wearing life jackets, according to a news release from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

Witnesses say that the pair was in a sit on top, hard plastic tandem kayak. The tree was very visible but they weren't able to paddle around it. When they went into the tree, it was filled with branches which the boat started to get tangled in. The force of the river flipped the kayak over and pinned Scott between the branches and the kayak. His head was never underwater but the force of the kayak pushing against his body and the branches he was tangled in basically crushed him and suffocated him. His wife was able to pull herself out and hang on to a tree branch for about 30 minutes before she was able to be rescued. Scott was very tangled and within about 2 minutes he had passed away. Took swift water rescue almost 2 hours to get him out. It appears inexperience, lack of skill, and lack of knowledge were all a major part of the incident.

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