July 14, 2025
NEWS RELEASE
A Utah family was rescued from the Snake River this afternoon after their van went off the road near the Fall Creek Campground. Emergency personnel responded to the incident around 12:20pm after the driver called for help, advising they rolled into Snake River downstream from the Fall River Campground. The driver advised his wife and four children were also inside the van and as it was floating downstream they were having difficulty getting out while water was filling up inside.
As emergency personnel were arriving, the van was found stuck on some rocks in the current just upstream from the Fall Creek Falls on the Snake River Rd. All occupants were still inside the van with their heads above water. As rope and dive equipment arrived on scene rescuers were able to safely extract the children and adults to the waters edge where they were pulled up a 30’ embankment with ropes to the roadway.
The family, all from Utah, had been camping in the area with friends prior to the crash. Aside from exposure to the cold water, all occupants were uninjured and checked by ambulance personnel at the scene. Deputies determined the van had driven too close to the road edge when the passenger tires went off the embankment causing the van to roll down into the river.
Bonneville County Sheriff’s Deputies, the BCSO Dive Rescue Team, Idaho Falls Ambulance, Swan Valley Fire and Jefferson Central Tech Rescue Team all responded to the incident. Bystanders in the area, including a BCSO Deputy camping nearby, also assisted in safely securing the van in the current and extricating the occupants. The Snake River Rd was closed in that area for approximately 2 hours while emergency personnel and tow equipment retrieved the van from the water.
