A memorial service for Andrew Schepp, the 40-year-old Boise lawyer who died while paragliding over Swan Falls Reservoir earlier this month, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at St. Michael’s Episcopal Cathedral, 518 N. 8th St., Boise.
Ada County Sheriff’s deputies found Schepp Thursday afternoon on the rocky embankment on the east side of the Swan Falls Reservoir, southeast of Swan Falls dam on the Snake River.
Boise police had been looking for Schepp since Oct. 18, several days after he was last seen, after family members filed a missing persons report. Police suspected Schepp may have gone paragliding the previous weekend and had asked for public help in finding him.
Schepp, who was an associate at the Brady Law firm in Boise, is survived by his wife and two sons, ages 4 and 8. He also is survived by his parents, sister, and several other family members, according to an obituary set to publish Wednesday in the Idaho Statesman.
The Alden Waggoner Funeral Chapel in Boise is handling memorial arrangements for the family.
In the obituary, family members say Schepp “brought joy and love to many, including animals, children and the elderly. His smiling spirit continues to soar, always.”
Family members also say Schepp “excelled at parenthood” and particularly liked to read to his sons at bedtime, had an excellent sense of humor, appreciated nature and enjoyed “going the extra mile” for his clients.
Ada County Sheriff’s deputies are still not sure what happened to Schepp, who was an experienced paraglider. Schepp wasn’t wearing his harness, helmet or any other equipment when he was found. His paragliding equipment had been discovered farther down the reservoir sometime before Thursday morning.
Ada County coroner’s reports say Schepp died from multiple instances of blunt force trauma, indicating he fell from a significant height onto the rocks below.
How that happened is still a mystery, sheriff’s officials said Tuesday.
The severity of his injuries and the location of his body showed that Schepp had to have been flying for some time before he fell, sheriff’s reports say. Deputies don’t think he tumbled from the cliff top, where he would have launched into the canyon.
Local paraglider Eddie Petranek, who knew Schepp, said it would be difficult to fall out of a paragliding harness, but not impossible. It could happen if the leg straps weren’t secured correctly and a flier encountered a sudden weather or wind change.
Paragliding equipment, including the harness, weighs more than 50 pounds, so if someone fell out, the rig still could keep flying, Petranek said.
Deputies found Schepp’s gold BMW SUV Friday morning at the top of the cliff near where paragliders often launch.
Someone else found the paragliding gear near the bottom of the canyon and called Crime Stoppers on Thursday morning. It is unclear exactly when or where the equipment was found.
