DARBY – Progress is being made in removing a vehicle from the Selway River that crashed into the raging river Monday, leaving four of the six hunters missing.
Idaho County Sheriff Mike Giddings confirmed that the vehicle was reached by raft and a hook was attached to the vehicle.
The next step is to bring in heavy equipment to pull the vehicle from the river.
Giddings said he is unsure if that will happen today, but should happen in the near future.
The 4 occupants went missing after their SUV crashed into the river Monday morning, about 50 miles west of Darby.
Two of the men made it safely to shore.
Authorities say that four men and two outfitters were bear hunting. We are told the men are not from Montana.
Reporting by Connor McCauley for MTN News
DARBY – Efforts are underway to recover an overturned SUV in the remote backcountry of Central Idaho, with family and friends hoping they’ll be able to resolve what happened to four missing hunters.
A video released by Two Bear Air Rescue shows the overturned SUV in the middle of the raging Selway River near the Paradise Campground, which is about 50-miles west of Darby on the remote Magruder Corridor.
The Idaho County Sheriff says the truck ran off the road Monday while the group was bear hunting. Two men made it to shore, but the fate of the others was unknown. Searchers from several agencies have been looking for the men.
The Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office checked out the scene initially, but tell us the case is now being handled by Idaho County deputies, who had to travel over six-hours from Grangeville to reach the scene because the Corridor is closed now east of Elk City by snow.
Family and friends of the men pulled together to raise over 31-thousand dollars to rent equipment to go back to the area and try to pull the SUV out of the river so it can be searched. At last word, that effort was underway late this afternoon.
Authorities haven’t released the identity of the men.
Reporting by Dennis Bragg for MTN News
