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UPDATE - Airman dies in hiking accident
An airman from Mountain Home Air Force Base died during a hiking accident in Bruneau Canyon on Sunday.
Airman 1st Class Alexander Van Meter, 22, was hiking with another person from the base near the Bruneau Canyon Overlook when he reportedly fell around 3 p.m., said Deputy Scott Snyder from the Owyhee County Sheriff's Department.
Measuring 1,000 feet from the rim to the bottom, the overlook area has no marked trails, the deputy said. It's not known how far Van Meter fell.
Search and rescue units from Owyhee County were dispatched following a call made by the other airman. While search teams located the body later that afternoon, there wasn't enough daylight remaining that day to recover the remains.
On Monday, a helicopter crew from the Idaho Army National Guard flew a UH-60 Blackhawk to the canyon area to recover the Van Meter's body.
"We lost a valued member of the Gunfighter family," said Col. Chris Short, 366th Fighter Wing commander. "This is a tragic event, and our hearts go out to our airman's family and friends during this difficult time."
The colonel considered Van Meter "a true professional," emphasizing that his contributions to the Gunfighter family will not be forgotten.
"It's with great sorrow that we mourn the loss of a mighty maintainer, team member and friend," added Lt. Col Jeremy Saunders, 366th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander.
Van Meter was assigned to the 366th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at the local Air Force base where he served as an electro-environmental technician. A memorial service is being planned to honor the airman, but the date and time were still being arranged as of press time.
The cause of death remains under investigation. However, Snyder said there was no evidence of foul play.
A native of Herscher, Ill., he is survived by his father, Leroy, and his mother, Sherry La Payne.
A memorial service is planned for 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29, at Liberty Chapel on base. The service is open to those stationed at the base.