Authorities say an 8-year-old boy’s dad and his uncle are dead after they jumped into Idaho’s Snake River to rescue him after he fell in.
The Elmore County Sheriff’s office says the three were fishing Sunday afternoon in southwest Idaho when the men went in after the boy and were swept away by the current.
A 23-year-old man also jumped into the river and was able to rescue the boy.
But witnesses told deputies that the two men both disappeared under the surface before anyone could reach them.
I’ve taken a life-guard class and one lesson they teach you is that you don’t risk your life to save another life. It’s noble, but two are dead attempting to save one.
My heart goes out to the boy who will likely never forget the day he lost his Father and Uncle.
H/T Bob
I suggest that we make buoyancy compensators mandatory for every person that has ever been wet. Or used the toilet. Or perspired.
I also demand that someone else pay for them! But hey, it’s for the children and it’s a small price to pay to protect our future (whiny-ass) leaders.
I trained as a life-guard, too. “Reach, throw, then go-with-support.”
A bunch of us even had to rescue a few kids who jumped into a river (with a deceptively-strong current) on the Fourth of July. No fatalities, thank God, but that’s partly because NOBODY jumped in without some kind of support, be it a floatation (this word should not be flagged; it’s an acceptable variant of “flotation” … stoopid spel chekkr) device or a tow rope with one end held by volunteers on shore.
Life lesson: It’s amazing how quickly things can go pear-shaped when you have kids swimming in a river. Be prepared.