Body of Raceland man found in river where he had fallen during rafting trip
Authorities have recovered the body of a Raceland man who fell into a fast-moving river during a rafting trip in Idaho.
Everette Jackson, 21, went missing June 11 in the rain-swelled Payette River near Emmett, a small city about 20 miles northwest of Boise.
A volunteer in the search found Jackson's body Sunday about 2 miles downstream from where he was last seen, the Gem County Sheriff said in a news release sent to The Courier and Daily Comet. Family members identified the body as Jackson's.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this very difficult time,” Gem County Sheriff Donnie Wunder said. “We are grateful to all of the emergency responders and volunteers who made this recovery possible.”
On Saturday: Community shows support for Raceland man missing after falling from raft into Idaho river
Earlier: Authorities searching for Raceland man missing after falling from raft into Idaho river
LSU-Eunice, where Jackson was a student, posted a Facebook message Sunday about the tragedy.
"It is with great sadness that we have learned that the body of Everette Jackson has been found," the university says in the post. "Please keep Everette's family and loved ones in your prayers in the coming days and weeks."
Jackson's body was recovered about 3 p.m. Sunday, volunteers involved with the search told The Courier and Daily Comet.
Members of Gulf Search and Rescue, Jake Stovall and J. R. Willard, who joined the search at the request of the United Cajun Navy, said dogs had apparently located Jackson's body Saturday night but the rapid waters impeded the recovery.
"We know from four different dogs where he was at, then the water levels rose and removed the body downstream 1.5 miles approximately, and that's where he was recovered," said Stovall, director of GulfSAR.
Scott Merriman, leader of United Cajun Navy Idaho, had helped the Louisiana-based United Cajun Navy with relief efforts after Hurricane Ida and was contacted by members to assist with the search for Jackson.
Early in the week, after searching in a helicopter, Merriman said the area was too obscured for search by air. He had sold his boat recently and regretted not having it for the search. He said a volunteer named George Holomshek drove them around the river for three days.
“The weeklong search included first responders and volunteers and was complicated by high water flow and dangerous river conditions,” Wunder said Sunday.
Water levels in the river, swelled by heavy rain, had risen 2 feet in the days before the mishap, according to local media reports. The river was just over 8 feet deep and flowing at 10,200 cubic feet per second, nearly four times the average speed for this time of year based on federal records dating back 96 years. The water's temperature was about 55 degrees, raising the risk of hypothermia.
The Sheriff's Office said the river remained dangerous for anyone not using a motorized craft and wearing a life jacket.
Authorities, family members and volunteers searched in and along the river by boat, helicopter and jet ski. Some searched on foot. Drones were also used.
Jackson graduated in 2019 from Central Lafourche High School, where he played basketball. He also was on the basketball team at LSU-Eunice.
Central Lafourche boys basketball coach Henry Latten helped organize a prayer ceremony for Jackson ahead of the school's home game against Vandebilt High on Saturday afternoon. The nearly 200 people in the gym joined hands as a prayer was said for Jackson and his family.
"Right now, the only thing we can do is offer prayer," Latten said as the search continued in Idaho. "We are going to put our heads together and our hearts together for the young man."
This article originally appeared on The Courier: Body of Raceland man found in river where he fell from raft
