Search and recovery efforts in Bonneville County concluded this weekend with the discovery of a 55-year-old North Carolina man who went missing after jumping into the Snake River without a life jacket during the Fourth of July holiday.
Tory J. Raether of Charlotte, North Carolina, was found deceased in the Snake River near McCoy Creek Campground on Saturday, according to the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, which confirmed the recovery on Sunday. Raether had jumped into the water from “Jumping Rock” near Sheep Gulch Boat Ramp on July 4 and was presumed to have drowned. His body was located approximately 9 river miles downstream from the location where he entered the water.
Raether was visiting family in Jackson for the holiday weekend when the incident occurred. Campers near McCoy Creek discovered the body and reported the finding to authorities. McCoy Creek Campground sits in Bonneville County, with the creek feeding into the Snake River upstream of Palisades Reservoir.
Multi-Agency Search Effort
Rescue personnel from Star Valley Search and Rescue were conducting search operations in the area when campers made the discovery. The coordinated search involved multiple resources, including drones, boats, water jets equipped with sonar technology, and canine units working to locate Raether in the challenging river environment.
The recovery marks the conclusion of an extensive effort that began immediately after Raether went missing on July 4. The swift current and distance the body traveled downstream presented significant obstacles to the search, but the multi-agency approach ultimately proved successful.
What Comes Next
The Bonneville County Coroner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to confirm the official cause of death. The incident underscores the dangers associated with entering Idaho’s Snake River without proper safety equipment, particularly in areas with strong currents and cold water temperatures.
Raether’s family has been notified of the recovery. The Snake River, which flows through Idaho Falls and surrounding areas of Bonneville County, claims several lives each year, many involving swimmers and waders who underestimate its power or neglect basic safety precautions.
TAGS: Idaho Falls, Bonneville County, Snake River, Public Safety, Drowning