A rafter went missing on Payette River. Sheriff warns of ‘life-threatening’ conditions
The Gem County Sheriff’s Office warned the public to stay clear of the Payette River after a rafter went missing this weekend.
Everett Jackson, 22, fell from a raft into the river west of the Washington Street bridge in Emmett at approximately 8 p.m. Saturday. Crews have continued to search the river for Jackson downstream toward Letha, which is 8 miles west of Emmett.
“The Payette River is currently flowing at a rate that presents a danger to anyone not using a motorized craft,” the Gem County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Monday news release. “Rapid flows, high-water levels, and frigid water temperatures currently present life-threatening conditions.”
Even those using motorized crafts are advised to wear life jackets while on the river.
“When rivers are higher, they’re faster and they are colder than normal,” Gem County Sheriff Donnie Wunder said. “Any river can be dangerous at any flow rate, but with all these conditions present, they pose significant risk.”
The sheriff’s office warned that cold water can trigger cardiac arrest or cause temporary paralysis, hypothermia, and drowning. Cold water in the ear may cause vertigo and disorientation, and rising river levels can cover objects such as debris, trees and rocks, which may trap a person below the surface of the water.
