IDAHO COUNTY, Idaho – Two people from a rafting group died in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area on Saturday, according to the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office.
An SOS from a Garmin inReach device initially reported CPR was underway at a remote location between Double Drop and Wa-Poots, 19 miles from vehicle access, according to a release from the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office.
Later that afternoon, a text to 911 revealed a second person had also flipped into the river, requiring CPR. Life Flight confirmed the deaths of the two individuals at separate locations but could not transport them due to the remote terrain. Efforts by the US Forest Service to reach the area via mules were unsuccessful.
A rescue helicopter recovered the bodies on Sunday. They were transported to Cedar Flats and handed over to the Idaho County Coroner.
The names of the people who died weren’t shared since their families hadn’t been notified.
