Three duck hunters rescued after boat overturns in Snake River

Deputies with the Elmore County Sheriff's Office spent much of last Wednesday rescuing three duck hunters who were stranded with their dog on an island in the Snake River.

The hunters, an unidentified Bellevue man and his two children, were hunting off the island when their boat overturned. They were able to reach the island and build a fire. The man had a cell phone in his pocket but it was temporarily rendered inoperable after becoming wet. Several hours passed before the phone dried out enough for the man to call 911.

With his cell phone still suffering the effects of being soaked in cold water, the man was able to offer only a brief description of his location before cellular connection was lost.

He called back later to give a better description of his location, stating he was on an island near the Narrows and could see the railroad tracks and a white house.

At about 11 a.m. deputies launched a sheriff's department boat from the Eddie Bostic Boat Dock in Glenns Ferry and headed downstream in search of the victims. They were found on a small island approximately 5.5 miles downstream of Glenns Ferry, cold but unharmed.

However, the rescuers soon became rescuees themselves.

After loading the children onto the sheriff's boat, deputies began heading upstream to Slick Bridge, where the man had left his vehicle. But dense moss clogged the intake valve on the jet boat, forcing it back to the island.

A second sheriff's boat was sent out to assist in rescue efforts.

All three victims and their dog were loaded onto the second rescue craft. But it was not long before that boat also encountered moss problems and was disabled.

The victims' boat, which was being towed, was cut loose in an attempt to eliminate tail drag. The rescue boat drifted a few yards downstream before coming to rest on a submerged sandbar.

The two deputies on-board entered the water in an attempt to clear the intake valve and dislodge the boat from the sandbar, but their effort met with failure.

At about 4 p.m. Sergeant Laytreda Schultz, who was manning the first rescue boat called dispatch and requested that a privately-owned airboat be sent out to assist with the rescue.

While deputies waited in their boats for the help to arrive, on shore Elmore County Sheriff Rick Layher and Sergeant Don Tveidt searched the riverbank to find a suitable landing spot for the airboat.

The shoreline was steep and choked with brush, but an adequate landing site was eventually found.

The airboat arrived about 45 minutes after Schultz's call to dispatch. The victims were off-loaded to the airboat and brought to shore then escorted to a waiting ambulance. Chilled but otherwise unharmed they declined transport to a medical facility.

After taking a dip in the chilly water, deputies in the second sheriff's boat were eventually able to remove the moss from the craft's intake valve.

By this time, the initial rescue boat was taking on water and on-board bilge pumps were unable to keep up with the flow.

An attempt to use the department's second boat as a tow vehicle back to Glenns Ferry was hampered by heavy moss bogged down the stern. However, it was able to tow the boat to the riverbank, where it remained overnight.

The victim's boat was recovered by a private towing business the next day.

This was the second water rescue Elmore County Sheriff deputies had responded in less than a week.

On Friday, December 28, deputies were called out to Strike Reservoir after dispatch received a phone call about an overdue duck hunter. That call came in at about 10 p.m.

The hunter and his companion were hunting from an island when their boat became untied and floated away. The man did not have a cell phone. However, he did have a flashlight and was able to use it to signal rescuers. Both he and his companion were unharmed.

Schultz said deputies have responded to several water rescues this winter.

She offered a few tips that could keep boaters safe when they find themselves stranded. If possible, boaters should remain in their boats until help arrives. Those who find themselves in the water should get to shore as soon as possible, even if it is an island. You should never try to swim farther than necessary as hypothermia could set in.

Schultz said the most important things boaters can do are: wear lifejackets; place their cell phones and matches in a waterproof bag and keep it in their pocket (if the boat overturns the cell phone and matches will not go under with the rest of your gear); carry extra, dry clothing in a waterproof bag (special waterproof bags specifically designed for boating are available at sporting goods stores), and make sure someone knows where you are going and when you expect to return.