31-year-old heard ‘yelling for help’ found dead at bottom of river, Idaho cops say

Paloma Chavez
·2 min read
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A 31-year-old’s body was recovered from a river after he was heard “yelling for help,” Idaho officials said.

Dispatchers received a call around 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 28 that a man was in distress in the Snake River in Idaho Falls, according to a news release by the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.

The caller told authorities the man went under the water and hadn’t resurfaced, deputies said.

The Idaho Falls Fire Swift Water Rescue, Idaho Falls police and the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office Dive Rescue Team went to the river and started searching, officers said.

Firefighters found fresh footprints from the riverbank that led into the water, but the prints didn’t return back to the bank, deputies said.

At around 10:20 p.m., divers found the man, later identified as Dylan T. Rummler, dead at the bottom of the river, officials said. He had drowned, deputies said.

Deputies said Snake River is known to be dangerous, especially during the colder winter months, putting people at higher risk of hypothermia, the release said.

Idaho Falls is about 280 miles east of Boise.

What to know about drowning

At least 4,000 people die from drowning every year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and drowning is a leading cause of death for children.

Some factors can make drowning more likely, including not knowing how to swim, a lack of close supervision, not wearing a life jacket and drinking alcohol while recreating near or in water.

The National Drowning Prevention Alliance said there are tips to help keep you safe in the water, including checking local weather conditions, never swimming alone and choosing the right equipment.

“Don’t hesitate to get out of the water if something doesn’t feel right,” the group said on its website. “Whether it’s that the current is getting rough, rain has started to fall, or your body is just not responding like you would like it to due to fatigue or muscle cramps, then just leave and return to the water another day. It’s always a good thing to trust your instincts.”

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