Divers find snowmobile that likely sunk 12 years ago during a water race in the Snake River
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The following is a news release and photo from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.
On Tuesday, divers with the Bonneville and Bingham County Sheriff’s Office Dive Teams participated in training at the John’s Hole Forebay of the Snake River. Dive teams with both agencies respond to water emergencies throughout the year on the Snake River, reservoirs and canal systems in our area and periodically conduct training of this type for newer members of the team and to maintain skills and equipment.
The Snake River, in particular, with its continual water flows and changes from season to season, brings a wide variety of challenges. Holding valuable training events like these increase the safety practices and efficiency during actual water emergencies.
As an added bonus to the training event, deputies located a snowmobile near the John’s Hole Bridge. With current water conditions, they were able to reach it with divers and use airbags to raise it from the bottom where it could be pulled to the boat ramp.
This particular snowmobile is believed to be one lost during a snowmobile water racing event sometime in 2007 but water conditions and safety concerns prevented accurate location and recovery of the machine during previous attempts. The snowmobile was returned to its owner at the forebay upon recovery.
The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office reminds everyone who uses or is near waterways to always utilize good safety precautions such as lifejackets and personal floatation devices. Rivers, lakes and canal systems in Bonneville County frequently have to determine if your watercraft has the required registration and safety equipment. We encourage you to visit www.boatidaho.gov to find out exactly what you need, read information about invasive species and find out about water conditions throughout Idaho.