An Idaho woman died after falling 100 feet into the Snake River near Alpine, Wyoming. According to Star Valley Search and Rescue (SAR), 89-year-old Joyce Balls of Rigby, Idaho, was having a quiet lunch with her sister and niece at a scenic overlook above the Big Kahuna rapids when tragedy struck.
Emergency Response
The incident occurred around 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday, prompting a coordinated response from several agencies, including the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Alpine Fire Department, Alpine EMS, and the US Forest Service’s River Crew. Search and rescue teams used jet skis, boats, and drones to search the water.
Drone footage confirmed visual contact with Balls’ body near Red Creek, about a mile downstream. The SAR team was then able to retrieve her from the river.
Dangerous Terrain, Familiar Tragedy
This section of the Snake River is known for its beauty — and danger.
As far as water features on the Snake River, it’s a section of rapids that are very well known in the river rafting community,” said Erickson, referring to the area between the Big Kahuna and Lunch Counter rapids
He also mentioned that the U.S. Forest Service had installed an AED (automated external defibrillator) in the area due to frequent accidents.
This is the second body recovery in just two weeks. On June 12, SAR crews found 93-year-old Ned Eddins in Swift Creek Canyon after he went missing on June 10.
