Authorities call off search for Pocatello teen who fell in water 12 days ago
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AMERICAN FALLS – Authorities are calling off the search for a Pocatello teen who fell in the Snake River in Bingham County earlier this month.
In a Facebook post Monday night, the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office says weather conditions have forced them to stop the search for Jayden Jensen.
“It is no longer feasible for us to continue due to the ice. We are confident through collaboration with several entities that we have done everything in our power and used all of the appropriate resources available to give ourselves the best chance to recover Jayden,” the sheriff’s office writes.
Multiple agencies have been searching for Jayden since he went under the water in the McTucker Ponds area north of American Falls Reservoir on Wednesday, Dec. 6.
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After 12 days of air and ground searches, the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office spoke with the Jensen family to inform them of their decision. They express gratitude for their “valiant effort” during the search and their sympathy for how things have turned out.
“Our hearts go out to the Jensen Family and any of the numerous lives that Jayden touched. Without meeting him, we feel like we can say we know him. Recovery or not, his legacy lives on — kindness, humility, love, and respect. From what we understand, he was all those things and more,” they write.
Though search crews are “exhausted” and their “hearts are heavy,” authorities are planning to pick up the search again in the spring as conditions allow.
They’re grateful to everyone who’s been involved in the search and the ways the community came together during this tragic ordeal.
“This was a joint effort on a scale that few can comprehend. We all gave our all together. Thank you,” says the sheriff’s office.