BANKS, Idaho — On Saturday evening, a truck heading north on Highway 55 drove into the North Fork of the Payette River. A 45-year-old Caldwell man died, and a 25-year-old man was able to survive a harrowing swim
Check out the video to learn more about this recovery
As of Thursday morning, the truck was still in the river directly above a rapid called Crunch. This is a class five rapid with continuous whitewater for about a mile until the bridge at Banks.
"That’s a treacherous area to swim," said Rob Shelton, of Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue. "Like most rivers, the most dangerous part is what you can’t see, and that is under the water."
Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue showed up to the scene and worked through the night to recover the body of the 45-year-old man near an island about 2/3 of a mile past the truck.
This recovery required a complex team effort with the Idaho Transportation Department closing the highway. Idaho State Police provided safety lighting, and there was also support from Boise County first responders.
Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue used a pole on the back of a Boise County ambulance as an anchor point, but they had to send a crew across the river to establish an anchor on a tree as well as another anchor on the furthest bank.
"So what we ended up doing was a highline directional system," explained Shelton. "It's a pretty phenomenal set-up, but it’s probably one of the most complex set-ups you can do in technical rescue."
In this set-up, rescuers utilize a main line with a pulley system to help maneuver the raft in the river with a vertical line to move up and downstream.
This allowed rescuers to remove the man from a foot entrapment without needing paddlers to fight the current in the raft.
"The recovery part is a lot more somber," added Shelton. "That tragedy already happened; we aren’t able to prevent that, and we understand that. So our focus is to bring closure to the family."
Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue has been helping people since 1959. It's an all-volunteer non-profit with 120 people and eight specialty units ranging from swiftwater, technical rescue, k-9, tracking, mountain biking, an off-highway or OHV team, and a drone team.
They are one of the most tenured rescue organizations in the country, operating off of grants and donations.
Shelton told us they are working to obtain a new headquarters because they have outgrown their current spot.
However, allocating funds can prove difficult because the team is constantly updating and replacing its rescue equipment, a costly expense. However, Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue continues to help a lot of people without charging for their service.
"You won’t find stuff around here that is tattered and worn because we are trying to pinch pennies. There is a life-saving element that is always the most paramount," said Shelton. "So, whether it is mountain or urban, when someone goes missing, we can provide a lot of resources."
The Boise County Sheriff's Office sent out a message warning travelers to be prepared for delays as they work to get the truck out of the river on Thursday.
I also asked ITD about guard rails because some sections of Highway 55 have them, while others don't. I was told guard rails are not feasible in many places because there is not enough room to install them. Many parts of the highway only have room for the river and the road.
Another car went into the North Fork of the Payette River in August. In that instance, which happened a little further upstream, the people inside were saved by two local kayakers. However, there are not a lot of boaters in September after the water levels drop.
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