Earlier this week divers with the Bonneville and Bingham County (Idaho) Sheriff’s Office Dive Teams participated in training at the John’s Hole Forebay of the Snake River.
Dive teams with both agencies respond to water emergencies throughout the year on the Snake River, reservoirs, and canal systems in our area and periodically conduct training of this type for newer members of the team and to maintain skills and equipment. The Snake River in particular, with its continual water flows and changes from season to season, bring a wide variety of challenges. Holding valuable training events like these increase the safety practices and efficiency during actual water emergencies.
As an added bonus to this week’s training event, deputies located a snowmobile near the John’s Hole Bridge and with current water conditions were able to reach it with divers and use air bags to raise it from the bottom where it could be pulled to the boat ramp.
This particular snowmobile is believed to be one lost during a snowmobile water racing event sometime in 2007 but water conditions and safety concerns prevented accurate location and recovery of the machine during previous attempts. The snowmobile was returned to its owner at the forebay upon recovery.
The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office reminds everyone who uses or is near waterways to always utilize good safety precautions such as lifejackets and personal floatation devices. To determine if your watercraft has the required registration and safety equipment we encourage you to visit www.boatidaho.gov to find out exactly what you need, read information about invasive species, and find out about water conditions throughout Idaho.