MOOSE, Wyo. — Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) announced on Sunday that its rangers and Teton County Search and Rescue responders worked together to safely retrieve eight individuals who were trapped in the Snake River after their raft flipped over on the evening of Saturday, June 8.
Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received the call at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, reporting that the eight stranded individuals, included the raft guide, were pinned against a log jam in the Deadman’s Bar-to-Moose section of river, an area known as “Black Hole,” in GTNP.
According to GTNP, another guide from the same commercial operator, Barker-Ewing, was in the area and was able to reach three passengers from the overturned raft who had been able to reach a nearby island in the river. The guide brought those individuals safely to Moose.
GTNP rangers responded to the scene where the remaining passengers were still stranded in the river. Two individuals were partially submerged in the river for several hours, straddling a log. Rangers were able to reach them by boat and bring them to shore. Both were transported to St. John’s Hospital in Jackson. They were hypothermic and one individual had suffered a head injury, according to GTNP.
Rangers were unable to reach the remaining three individuals who were perched on part of the overturned raft, but they maintained visual contact with them.
Around 5 a.m. on Sunday, June 9, Teton County Search and Rescue personnel short-hauled via helicopter the remaining three individuals safely to shore. All three were moderately hypothermic; they were treated on site and did not need further medical care, according to the news release.
According to GTNP, the Snake River is running high and fast as it carries runoff from snow melting at higher elevations, along with significant wood debris. Rangers have assigned difficulty levels to the various stretches of river in the park. The section from Deadman’s Bar to Moose Landing, the stretch where the incident occurred, is rated “advanced.”
“Though the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park does not consist of any whitewater, it is a complex and unpredictable braided river,” GTNP said via press release. “A strong current, shifting channels, numerous logjams, eddies and snags all combine to make floating the Snake a challenging proposition. These obstacles often require floaters to set up maneuvers well in advance.”
Boaters floating the Snake River should check conditions before every trip, as the river can change hourly. All vessels must carry a United States Coast Guard approved personal flotation device (PFD) of the appropriate size for each person on board. PFDs must be accessible and in good working condition. PFDs should be worn while boating. All passengers under 13 years old must wear a PFD.
