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Rafter missing on Payette River in Emmett, Gem County Sheriff's Office searching the area

River Idaho
Posted at 11:29 AM, Jun 13, 2022
and last updated 2022-06-13 18:57:54-04

A man is missing after falling out of his raft on the Payette River in Emmett.

Gem County Sheriff's Office is searching for a man who is missing after falling from the raft on the Payette River west of the Washington Street bridge in Emmett around 8 p.m. June 11, according to a news release.

Family of the man identify him as 21-year-old Everette Jackson and say he went tubing on the river with his girlfriend and was swept by a current after they missed their exit from the river.

Related: Idaho man drowns in kayaking accident on Salmon River

Related: Rafting season is underway on the Payette River system

Officials are searching for him by jet ski and jet boat and ask people to stay clear of the river as they search.

"When rivers are higher, they’re faster and they are colder than normal,” said Sheriff Donnie Wunder in a statement. “Any river can be dangerous at any flow rate, but with all these conditions present, they pose significant risk."

Water levels on the river are currently flowing at a rate that could be dangerous to anyone on the river not on a motorized craft, according to the release.