VIDWEO/PHOTOS: The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is slated for Monday, Dec. 22, with Washington State and Utah State set to square off on The Blue in the battle of spuds. But while the seasoned squads are seeking to mash a touchdown, two Boise firefighters will be in the spotlight for their role in saving the lives of rafters stranded on the Owyhee River over the summer. In May, the Idaho National Guard said two people were rafting on a remote part of the Owyhee River when their raft overturned. Officials said one person became trapped on a boulder overnight in sub-40-degree temperatures after the raft became pinned on rocks. The other raft reached land safely.
“Due to terrain limitations, a direct helicopter hoist was not possible,” Boise Fire Department officials wrote in a news release. Officials said due to challenging water conditions, the Idaho Army National Guard’s State Aviation Group called in the Boise Fire Department’s Swift Water Rescue Team to assist in the rescue. “Captain Hendershot and Senior Firefighter Hammett developed an alternate ground-based rescue plan, executing a high-risk vectored pendulum maneuver to safely move the stranded rafter to shore before hoisting both individuals to safety,” Boise Fire said.
