The race was on Monday afternoon, when a report was made of two youths stranded on a small island of debris in the Shoshone River just downstream from the Road 5 bridge in Byron.
After the report came in from a NEPECO truck driver who noticed Rocky Mountain High School juniors Kacee Thompson and Jeff Sanders in the river, Byron and Lovell Police officers raced to the scene along with sheriff’s deputies, EMTs and members of the North Search and Rescue squad. Responders began to scout the flooded banks for a spot to launch a boat or a way to get a line to the stranded swimmers.
After determining the water was moving too swiftly to do a rope rescue, north SAR Captain Scott Allred said the group decided to launch a medium-sized boat in a side canal of the river. He said they would have preferred to launch a more powerful 200-horsepower boat, but it was too large to launch. Instead, they launched a smaller, 25-horsepower boat. Allred rode in front while Ray Heiser motored the boat down current to the location of the stranded people.
They stopped for a moment just downriver from the stranded people at the side of the river and then charged the rapids, passing in front of the debris island to throw life jackets to the stranded swimmers and shout instructions for the rescue.
After returning to the shore for another moment, the boat again went against the current, Heiser carefully maneuvering it to not let the boat catch a snag or other debris while attempting to get close to the stranded people. The boat steadily inched toward the debris until Thompson jumped off a log and into the boat while other responders waited on the banks downstream with throw rings in case someone was to fall in the water.  Thompson was dropped off at the shore and the boat returned for a third pass to rescue Sanders in a similar fashion.
The SAR team is well practiced on river rescues right now for an unfortunate reason, Allred said. The team has been practicing river maneuvers during continuing search efforts for a man who presumably drowned in the Big Horn River in May. Allred said he and Heiser had practiced the exact maneuver carried out Monday many times in the past month or so, which is why they were the ones who took to the water.
After being checked out by medical personnel, the rescued subjects were released without significant injuries.
Allred said all agencies involved did a great job and the search effort went off without a hitch. He noted the page was received at about 4:55 p.m. and the subjects were rescued by about 5:55. He said time was a factor in the rescue because the water was cold and could cause hypothermia if a person was exposed to it for too long.
He said Heiser did a great job driving the boat and many people behind the scenes helped to make the rescue go smoothly. He thanked the Byron citizens who helped keep traffic off the bridge.
The river was moving at around 8,000 cfs, according to the BuRec. Sheriff Ken Blackburn said the water was moving at a speed of about 18 mph.
“A lot of people put themselves at an extreme risk to help these guys out,” Blackburn said. “I would caution people to use their heads and exercise caution in or around the water and to use flotation devices and all other safety equipment.”
Responders at the scene agreed the Shoshone River is currently moving too swiftly to safely swim in and Byron Chief Frankie Rohrer urged citizens not to go near the river until it slows.