Two men still missing in Idaho County

Idaho County officials are planning to intensify a search this weekend for a 64-year-old Kooskia man who has been missing since he went to pick huckleberries Aug. 11.

And officials still have not located a 32-year-old Moscow man who has been missing and is presumed drowned following a jet boat wreck on the Snake River on Sunday.

Monica Walker, a spokesperson for the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office, said Friday searchers have been looking all week for Daniel Yeigh, who was last seen a week ago about 20 feet off the 500 Road, about 3.3 miles from Canyon Junction. About 45 ground searchers, five dog teams, a helicopter and a drone have been involved in the hunt.

Walker said the teams plan another big effort to find Yeigh this weekend.

On Sunday, search teams were called out for a jet boat wreck that happened about 9 p.m. Saturday. According to a news release from the sheriff’s office, the jet boat struck a rock and tore a hole in the bottom of the boat. The boaters continued down the Snake River and got stuck on a gravel bar.

The passenger in the boat walked up the gravel bar with his cellphone to try to signal help while the driver, Wacy DeCora, of Moscow, stayed with the boat. While the passenger was out of the boat trying to get help, the water rose and he was unable to return to the boat. The passenger tried to communicate with the driver around 3 a.m. but the driver was gone.

The sheriff’s office received a call of the accident about 9:15 a.m. Sunday, reporting that the boat was on the Snake River, about 5.2 miles upriver from the confluence of the Salmon River.

DeCora is presumed to have drowned, the sheriff’s office said, and is listed as missing. The sheriff’s office will continue to monitor the water and riverbank in an effort to recover DeCora. Walker said the boat has been recovered.

Hedberg may be contacted at khedberg@lmtribune.com.