Grand Teton rangers rescue eight rafters stranded overnight on Snake River

News and Adventure from Glacier National Park

Grand Teton posted this on their social media about an hour ago:

The Snake River is running high and fast as it carries runoff from snow melting at higher elevations and significant wood debris.

On Saturday evening a commercially guided group’s raft on the Snake River hit a log jam in the area known as “Black Hole” near Bar BC Ranch north of Moose. The raft had overturned leaving eight individuals, including the guide, trapped in the river. Over several hours and into the early morning raft guides and rangers rescued all the individuals. They are now recuperating and safe.

Though the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park does not consist of any whitewater, it is a complex and unpredictable braided river. A strong current, shifting channels, numerous logjams, eddies, and snags all combine to make floating the Snake a challenging proposition. These obstacles often require floaters to set up maneuvers well in advance.

Rangers have assigned difficulty levels to the various stretches of river in the park. The section from Deadman’s Bar to Moose Landing, the stretch where the incident occurred, is rated “advanced.”

Boaters floating the Snake River should check conditions before every trip, as the river can change hourly.

Jackson Hole News & Guide offered additional details:

After the raft flipped Saturday, three passengers reached the shore. Three other Barker-Ewing guides responded, plucked the passengers off the shore and floated them to Moose.

Park rangers launched a rescue for the remaining stranded passengers. Two people were partially submerged for several hours, straddling a log. Rangers reached them by boat and brought them to shore.

They were taken to St. John’s Health in Jackson. Both were suffering from hypothermia, and one suffered a head injury, according to park officials.

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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com