Rexburg reserve police officer drowns in Lake Mead
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IDAHO FALLS – A Rexburg reserve police officer who worked full-time as a Las Vegas veterinarian drowned after a boating accident on Sunday in Nevada.
Aaron Bivens worked as a Rexburg Police reserve officer for the last four years and was a renowned veterinarian at South Buffalo Springs Animal Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bivens was boating with a friend on Lake Mead when they decided to cool off and swim in the water, according to Rexburg Assistant Police Chief Gary Hagen. Due to sudden high winds, the boat started drifting, and Bivens and his friend could not catch up to it.
A boat passing by came across the two in the water. The friend was able to get onboard but Bivens went underwater and his body was not found until Tuesday.
Bivens began working with the Rexburg Police Department in 2019 as part of a tactical medical program. He also helped with the special weapons and tactics team in partnership with the Team 5 Medical Foundation.
According to Team 5, Bivens was a tactical veterinarian who would be “deployed with the police K9 officers into the hot zones where he can treat any injuries to the working police dog.”
Although Bivens didn’t live in Rexburg, he often traveled to eastern Idaho for canine handling classes and was assigned as a reserve officer in case of an emergency where he would have to deploy to save working police K9’s.
“The Rexburg Police Department officers and staff would like to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Reserve Officer Aaron Bivens who died this week in a drowning accident in Nevada,” the department posted on Facebook Tuesday. “Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.”