1 river, 1 lake, 1 critical, 2 dead
By Eric Valentine
A 5-year-old girl and her young father died in a Redfish Lake kayaking accident Friday, sending a stark reminder to Valley residents and travellers that this time of year can see fun times turn traumatic in the blink of an eye. By Sunday afternoon, another tragedy struck. This time, to a Big Wood River rafter who remains in critical condition as of press deadline Tuesday, thanks to heroic-level efforts by fellow rafters and first responders to keep him alive.
The kayaking victims were Mountain Home residents Claire Tanney, 5, and Christopher Joseph Tanney, 31. The rafting victim is Hailey resident Nicholas Patrick Miller, 74.
Redfish Lake
Just before 11 a.m. Friday, June 28, the Custer County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a child pulled from Redfish Lake. Bystanders were performing CPR while Stanley Emergency Services, a Custer County deputy and Marine deputy were dispatched to respond along with the Stanley Swift Water rescue team.
A kayak was found overturned in the water, and a pair of men’s boots were found on the bank. The girl was taken to St. Luke’s Wood River hospital in Ketchum and then flown to Boise for further medical care, but did not pull through.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game performed a search for the father using sonar and detected what was believed to be a body approximately 55 feet below the surface Friday evening. Divers from Bingham County were dispatched and recovered the body the next morning.
Big Wood River
On Sunday, June 30, at approximately 12:30 p.m., emergency responders were dispatched to a report of a rafter stuck on a log near a bridge in the Big Wood River south of Ketchum. Upon arrival, deputies from the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office found an inflatable raft partially submerged and lodged against a fallen log in the middle of the river. Two men were attempting to keep the head of the victim, Miller, above water and pull him back onto the raft.
Miller was eventually freed and taken to the shoreline where CPR was initiated. Miller was later transported via air ambulance to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise and remains in critical condition.
Blaine County Sheriff Steve Harkins stated, “Please use extreme caution when swimming or floating any portion of the Big Wood River. Logs, strainers, and currents are extremely dangerous and accidents can happen quickly.”
