Sheriff: Washington man dies in rafting accident on Middle Fork of the Salmon River
A Washington man is dead after a boating accident on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Custer County, according to the sheriff’s office.
Robert Gray, 63 of Mill Creek, Washington, was floating the river Tuesday afternoon “when his raft struck a log jam, throwing him into the water,” according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
The accident took place around 2:30 p.m. near the Boundary Creek boat launch, northwest of Stanley.
“Robert Gray, tired and cold, could not self-rescue and was carried away by the swift current,” the release said.
According to the release, the river was running high with a water temperature of 40 degrees. The sheriff’s office was notified of the incident around 7 p.m. Tuesday by the victim’s family.
Around noon Wednesday, Custer County Search and Rescue located a body matching Gray’s description by helicopter, submerged in a log jam downstream from Boundary Creek, the release said.
Gray’s body is still in the river, as rescuers have determined the river is currently too dangerous for retrieval, the release said.
“Recovery efforts will resume as soon as the water levels drop and the recovery team can get into the location,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Gray’s family has started a fundraiser to help with the costs of the recovery effort and to track whether his body moves farther downstream.
This story was originally published May 25, 2022 at 6:50 PM.
