Swiftwater Recovery of our Dad's Body

On Tuesday, May 24, our Dad, Robert Gray, passed away in a whitewater rafting accident on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho. The next morning, a helicopter search located his body stuck in a logjam in the river. High water and weather conditions make recovery of his body too dangerous at this time.

 

Our greatest concern is that Dad’s body will float farther down the river and become lost before it is retrieved. We want to be able to actively track his body to determine if it moves or stays in place. While the local search and rescue department has been very helpful, they do not have a helicopter that can go out on a regular basis. They need to hire one from Boise, and the next search has been approved for Tuesday, May 31. After that, it is unclear when or how often the searches can be conducted.

 

We would like to have the ability to hire a private helicopter company to do more frequent surveillance, perhaps twice a week. However, this is extremely expensive, which is why we are asking for your help. We are also renting housing in the area until such time as his body is recovered, which we are told could be several weeks from now.

 

We appreciate any help that you can give. Losing our Dad is a devastating loss for our family and knowing that his body is still in the water is even more traumatizing. We are very afraid that his body may never be found.

 

In addition, if you or anyone you know has rescue experience and is qualified to assist or advise, please reach out to us using the message feature. 

 

Thank you,

 

The Gray Family

Maria, Bobby, Anita, Thomas, and Natalie