Officials find body of missing BYU-I student who drowned in Henrys Fork
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ST. ANTHONY – Officials confirm the Brigham Young University-Idaho student who jumped off a bridge while swimming with friends near St. Anthony last Thursday is dead.
A news release from the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office indicates the body of 22-year-old Matthew Rios was located around 1 p.m. Tuesday about a mile downstream from the Fun Farm Bridge.
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Crews have been searching the river in boats and along the riverbank since Thursday afternoon when he was first reported missing.
High water levels and cold temperatures were an ongoing challenge throughout the five-day search. One of Sheriff Len Humphries biggest concerns was the safety of search and rescue personnel.
An underwater dive search got underway Monday night after working with irrigation and canal companies to modify the flow of the river and get the water levels to drop.
Rios’ body was found with the aid of a drone. Two friends who were swimming with him at the time made it out safely.
Multiple agencies were involved in the search, including the sheriff’s office, St. Anthony Police Department, South Fremont Fire District and others.
The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office is grateful to all the agencies that assisted during the recovery. Humphries is encouraging the public to avoid river swimming and bridge jumping until this summer when the conditions are better suited for recreation.