Body recovered from North Fork of Payette River is believed to be missing man
Responders recovered a body from the North Fork of the Payette River following a weeklong search for a missing man.
Investigators said they believe the deceased individual was a 40-year-old man from Billings, Montana, who was involved in a crash on May 31 near milepost 93.5, south of Cascade, Idaho State Police said in a Sunday news release.
A “passerby” found the body on Sunday, about three miles downstream from the crash site, police said.
“Personnel from the Idaho State Police, Valley County Sheriff’s Office, and Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit responded to the area and hiked to the recovery location,” state police said.
The Billings man had been missing since the accident.
The crash occurred when a Dodge Ram pickup truck that was driving south on Idaho 55 crossed into the northbound lane, collided with another vehicle and crashed into the river, according to police.
Police said there was “heavy weekend traffic” on the highway at the time of the crash, and witnesses reported seeing “at least one occupant exit the pickup and be swept downstream by the swift current.”
The man’s family has been notified, and the Valley County Coroner’s Office plans to release his identity at a later time.
This story was originally published June 7, 2026 at 5:35 PM.
